Description
There have been three depictions of St George that have only appeared on the gold half sovereigns of Queen Elizabeth II. These three are joined by the 2021 gold half sovereign featuring the definitive St George which is the 200th anniversary year edition of that coin.
This stunning set includes four British gold half sovereigns:
2005 The Modern St George BU gold half sovereign
One-year-only modern adaptation of St George and the dragon by artist Timothy Noad. Some suggestions are that this was minted as an unofficial commemorative for the 200th anniversary of Trafalgar (St George and dragon = triumph of good over evil). This design has only ever appeared on the sovereigns of Queen Elizabeth II (and only in 2005).
2008 The Streamlined St George BU gold half sovereign
In 2007 the Royal Mint decided to try and make the sovereign more economical to produce. To do this they tampered with the Definitive design by ‘streamlining’ various details and design elements. This turned a classic into something that was unbecoming for a gold sovereign – so much so, that it was used for ONLY TWO YEARS and then Pistrucci’s Definitive design returned in all its glory! This design has only ever appeared on the sovereigns of Queen Elizabeth II (and only in 2007 & 2008).
2012 The Gothic St George BU gold half sovereign
One-year-only design in Gothic style by designer Paul Day to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee. This design has only ever appeared on the sovereigns of Queen Elizabeth II (and only in 2012).
2021 The Definitive St George BU gold half sovereign
The Definitive design of St George and the dragon was created by Benedetto Pistrucci in 1821. This is the 2021 British gold sovereign featuring that same design – a wonderful tribute to 200 years of that design on the British sovereign.
Housed in a luxury matte black case with informative certificate of authenticity.
