The 2002 gold sovereign was specially commissioned to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. Many special events were held throughout the UK and the Commonwealth. And this coin was struck as part of this celebration of Her Majesty’s 50-year reign. The Design Different designers were used for each side of the sovereign. The obverse side …
The George III sovereign made at The Royal Mint in London in 1819 is a very rare coin and a key date in the London series. There are only seven known examples in private hands, and ten known surviving examples in total. Two of these are ex-jewellery and have residual solder, and one is holed. …
This one-year-only edition of the gold sovereign was produced in 1989 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the first hammered sovereign. The coin was struck by The Royal Mint in London in 22-carat gold and has a proof striking standard. So it’s of the highest quality. The 1989 sovereign is now one of the most …
The mint in Ottawa, Canada, was established by The Royal Mint in 1908. It officially opened on 2 January 1908. Before this, there had been very little circulation of gold coinage in Canada. The mint was opened due to the recent discovery of gold in the Yukon Territory and British Colombia. The first gold sovereigns …
As one of Britain’s largest and most prized colonial possessions, Australia was home to several other Royal Mint branches as well the main Sydney branch that produced sovereigns. The building that would become the Melbourne Branch of the Royal Mint is located at William and LaTrobe Streets (280-318 William Street and 387-429 La Trobe Street). …
Sydney Branch Mint History The Sydney Branch of the Royal Mint, just like it’s British counterpart, has a long and illustrious history. The former Mint building is the oldest public structure within the Sydney Central Business District. Residing at 10 Macquarie Street, it shares geographical vicinity with many other historical Australian landmarks, such as Hyde …
London Branch Mint History The Royal Mint without a shadow of doubt remains one of the most respected and prestigious mints in operation today. In terms of importance to the British economy, the Mint ranks as highly as any commercial institution. It has produced the Gold Sovereign since it’s conception. Operating under the name of Royal …
The Chemist The Ansell Sovereign was create by George Frederick Ansell (4th March 1826 – 21st December 1880). He was an acclaimed British inventor, chemist and author of the Royal Mint. Ansell excelled academically, and originally looked to be set for a promising career in the medical industry. However, the young Ansell’s appreciation for precious …
William Wyon (1795 – 1851) Introduction/Formative Years No article on the greatest British sovereign engravers would be complete William Wyon RA (1795 – 1851). William was born in Birmingham in 1795, the son of Peter Wyon, a die engraver. At the young age of fourteen, William would become an apprentice to his father, who worked …