The five 'special reverse' gold sovereigns

The five 'special reverse' gold Sovereigns

16th April 2019

The 20 shillings Sovereign was first issued during the reign of Henry VII.  However, the modern Sovereign was introduced as currency by Royal Proclamation on 1 July 1817.  It featured a new reverse design by Italian engraver and medallist, Benedetto Pistrucci, which depicted St George and the dragon and was deliberately intended to make the coin as distinctive as possible.  This beautiful, classic design remains on gold Sovereigns today and is considered to be one of the world’s most widely recognised coins.

​In 200 years, the reverse has rarely changed, with only a handful of designs appearing on The Sovereign since 1817.  That said, there have been some unique and beautiful 'special reverses' which have featured on modern gold sovereigns.
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The Fab Five in Detail

​In 1989, the Sovereign celebrated its 500th anniversary, having been commissioned on 28 October 1489 by Henry VII.  The Royal Mint asked Bernard Sindall to create a unique reverse.  The design showed a crowned shield of the Royal Arms on a double Tudor rose and was similar to the hammered Sovereigns created in Henry VII’s reign. ​
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Designer: Bernard Sindall | Mintage: 10,535 proof | Rating: Scarce

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​In 2002, Her Majesty The Queen celebrated her Golden Jubilee.  To celebrate the occasion The Royal Mint commissioned a reverse that took its inspiration from other 'shield back' type sovereigns and was designed by Timothy Noad. This modern take on a traditional concept was not unlike the sovereigns minted during the reigns of George IV, William IV and Victoria.
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Designer: Timothy Noad | Mintage: 12,500 proof | Rating: Normal​

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In 2005, The Royal Mint again commissioned Timothy Noad to re-design the reverse of the sovereign.  This time he took inspiration from Benedetto Pistrucci's classic George and the Dragon design, with an almost 'cartoon like' interpretation.  Whilst probably the weakest of the 'special reverse' designs, it still remains popular and collectable.  

Designer: Timothy Noad | Mintage: 12,500 proof | Rating: Normal

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​In 2012 Her Majesty The Queen celebrated her Diamond Jubilee.  To celebrate the occasion The Royal Mint commissioned another new St George and the dragon reverse and was designed by Paul Day.  This modern representation was more in keeping with the traditional reverse and due to its low mintages is now very collectable in the proof strike.
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Designer: Paul Day | Mintage: 5,501 proof | Rating: Normal ​

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​In 2017, the modern Sovereign celebrated its 200th anniversary with a re-design of an old classic.  Surrounding the St George and dragon around the edge of the 2017 Sovereign are the words Honi soit qui mal y pense. which is generally taken to mean “Shame be to him who thinks evil of it”. Best known, certainly in the UK, as the motto of the Order of the Garter.
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Designer: Benedetto Pistrucci | Mintage: 13,500 proof | Rating: Normal​

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If you own any of the 'special reverse' designs we're always interested in adding to our collection, you can find out more here.

1817.co.uk | Yorkshire's finest collector of modern gold Sovereigns