As we celebrate World Heritage Day, we take a look at some of the most historically significant and interesting sovereign coinage currently available at Hattons of London. These sovereigns offer a fascinating and deeper look into the last 200 years of British history and coinage, recording some of the most important moments in the history of the world’s greatest gold coins.
Five Phenomenal Facts about Concorde
Concorde first took to the skies during a test flight on 2nd March 1969, piloted by Andre Turcat in Toulouse, France. The Franco-British turbojet-powered aircraft operated between 1976 and 2003. Here, we will be taking a look at five phenomenal facts about this supersonic passenger aircraft.
Coin Collecting Glossary – The In’s and Out’s Part 2
Following on from our blog ‘Coin Collecting Glossary – The In’s and Out’s’, we take a look at some more of the terms that you may find useful if you are starting out in the wonderful world of numismatics.
Queen Elizabeth II’s 95th Birthday Sovereign Range
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 95th birthday this year on April 21st, making her Britain’s oldest reigning monarch. This, together with what has been an incredible 69-year reign so far, makes her quite a remarkable presence and one that Britain will rejoice and celebrate in April this year.
In 1947, Queen Elizabeth II married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the couple has four children: Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal; Prince Andrew, Duke of York; and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex. In 1953, Elizabeth was crowned and officially recognized as sovereign. Since then, the Queen has served in her role as the Queen of England, and in 2018, she became the first British monarch to reach a Sapphire Jubilee—a celebration to mark 65 years of her reign.
The Trial of the Pyx – What is it, and why does it exist?
The word ‘pyx’ comes from the Latin word ‘pyxis’ or small box, and in this case refers to the chests used to store and transport the coins ready for the trial. Throughout the year, coins are randomly selected from every batch and denomination struck, sealed in bags of 50 and locked away in ‘Pyx’ boxes ready for testing to commence at the Trial of Pyx.
Timeline of the 200 Years of the British Gold Sovereign
Then in 1817, the ‘new sovereign’ made its debut with a newly imagined design featuring St George slaying the dragon. The new design was created by Italian gem engraver Benedetto Pistrucci and was destined to become one of the world’s most loved coin designs.