Elizabeth II Gold Sovereigns
Elizabeth II Gold Sovereigns
Queen Elizabeth II Gold Sovereigns coins have been issued in a variety of different styles since her reign began in 1952. Five unique portraits have been used for the obverse side to illustrate her maturation through the years. Except for 1989 and 2002, the reverse side has always shown the memorable battle between Saint George and the Dragon.
The very first edition with Queen Elizabeth II, displaying her pre-decimal portrait, was actually minted as a proof in 1953, but it was never released to the public. In 1957, the sovereigns were first issued as bullions, containing the same image of the queen but with a finer-grained texture around the perimeter on both sides. The coins have been manufactured in all but nine of the years since, though not always as bullions.
One of the particularly special years was 1989, which commemorated the 500th anniversary of the initial gold sovereign with a single issue coin designed by Bernard Sindall, who adapted both sides from the original versions. On the obverse, the queen is seated at the throne in the same manner as at her coronation. The inscription around her reads, “Elizabeth II Dei Gra Reg Fid Def”, meaning, “Elizabeth II – By The Grace Of God, Queen, Defender Of The Faith”.
The reverse contains a Tudor Rose, adorned by a crown, with a Shield of the Royal Coat of Arms inside it. The perimeter is circumscribed with the words, “Anniversary Of The Gold Sovereign 1489 – 1989”. It is one of the more unique sovereigns, because not only was it the first-ever commemorative one, but it was also the first to display its denomination.
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Elizabeth II 1st Portrait
Although Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953 and sovereigns were minted for her by the Royal Mint, the first sovereigns were not issued for circulation until 1957 |
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Elizabeth II 2nd Portrait
Queen Elizabeth II 2nd Portrait (Decimal) gold sovereign coins were first issued in 1974 and were circulated until 1982. However, new bullion sovereigns were not minted in 1975 and 1977 |
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Elizabeth II 3rd Portrait
The Third Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II appears on gold sovereigns that were issued every year from 1985 to 1997, with the exception of the 500th anniversary of the coins in 1989, which produced a special one-year edition |
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Elizabeth II 4th Portrait
Still currently in use, the Fourth Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (also known as the "Large Head") initially adorned gold sovereigns in 1998 |
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