Seven Things You May Not Know About Queen Elizabeth II

Posted on by Emma Wilde
Queen Elizabeth II is the world’s longest reigning monarch, and one of the most well respected too. Born in 1926 as Elizabeth Alexandra Mary to The Duke and Duchess of York, she grew up in London with her sister, Princess Margaret. Even though the Queen has lived much of her life in the public eye, there’s still plenty you probably didn’t know about Her Royal Majesty…

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Timeline of the 200 Years of the British Gold Sovereign

Posted on by Emma Wilde
The British Sovereign was first imagined in 1489 by King Henry VII, after he instructed officers of his Royal Mint to produce a ‘new money of gold’. Prior to that point, England had enjoyed circulating gold coinage for almost a century and a half, but the new coin, named a Sovereign, was to be the largest coin both in size and value.

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.

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