The first Sovereign was struck in 1489 by order of King Henry VII. It had remained in circulation during the reigns of several Monarchs. The Sovereign was taken out of circulation when King James II took to the throne in 1604.
The Sovereign was put back into circulation in 1817 with a fascinating new design by Benedetto Pistrucci. The design featured a scene from a tale of St George on Horseback slaying a dragon. The iconic image has graced every sovereign since 1817 (with exception of Jubilee & commemorative years).
The featured 2022 gold Sovereign Memorial proof is highly sought after for his historical significance. Typically only one Sovereign is issued in a given year. With the Queen’s passing and the Ascension of the king, the Royal Mint authorized a memorial sovereign to commemorate the event.
The coin features the first official portrait of King Charles III designed by Martin Jennings. The effigy follows a long-standing tradition, with the King facing left, opposite his mother, the Queen.
In honor of the late Queen, the coin was struck with a new design on the reverse by Jody Clark. His design is similar to Timothy Noad’s Royal Arms designed for the Queens Platinum Jubilee. The main difference, rather than St. Edward’s crown, it features the Tudor Crown chosen by King Charles III himself. Beautiful heraldic symbols and motifs were also added making it easily distinguishable from Noads.
