Gold Sovereign King Charles III - Coronation 2023

Sovereign 2023 - Coronation of Charles III.

The gold Sovereign, Britain's most famous coin and the flagship of the Royal British Mint, is struck at a total weight of 7.98g (containing 7.32g of pure gold) in 22ct gold, which corresponds to a 917/1000 gold to 83/1000 copper ratio. The Gold Sovereign is prized by collectors for its iconic 1817 motif by Benedetto Pistruccio, which was unique in its time for its lack of heraldic emblems. The coin's global prestige is also traditionally associated with the commemoration of significant events such as the coronation of Charles III in 2023.
Unlike the special issues dating back to the reign of Elizabeth II, the obverse has been redesigned and the coin's portrait of the King has been given a coronation look. This is why this commemorative coinage can be considered a necessary part of the Sovereigns' numismatic collection. The edge of the coin is scalloped, distinguishing it from the so-called "coronation mintage" with a smooth edge, which was issued as a limited edition on the day of the ceremony on 6 May 2023.

The coin bears on its reverse a neoclassical image of St George on horseback by the Italian engraver and medallist Benedetto Pistruccio. St. George holds a sword in his right hand and draws the horse's reins with his left arm. His body is not protected by any armour, except for a helmet, flowing cloak and light sandals he is naked. The saint's horse rears up over the wounded dragon. The present design differs little from that of 1821. The design includes the year of issue "2023" and the initials of the artist "B.P." at the bottom of the coin.
The historical motif underwent modifications in the first years of minting. The original design depicted St. George with a broken spear, another part was impaled in a dragon and part was lying on the ground. The spear was replaced by a sword in 1821. The figure of the saint, his cloak and clasp or the robustness of the horse have also evolved. The tail fluttering from the helmet of the original 1817 design underwent the most frequent change. The tail is absent on coins from 1821, reappears in 1887, undergoes modifications in 1893 and 1902, and is removed again in 2009.
Gold Sovereigns were first minted between 1817 and 1917, following a decision by the British government in 1816 with the intention of stabilising the currency of Great Britain in light of the economic and economic difficulties caused by the impact of the Napoleonic Wars. Sovereigns were reissued in 1925 and have continued to be minted since 1957. They have been issued in bullion form for the investment metals market since 1979. The coin takes its name (translated as Sovereign) from the English Gold Sovereign of 1489-1604, the obverse of which depicted the Sovereign seated on the throne.

The obverse bears the first coin portrait of Charles III in a version designed specifically for a series of commemorative coins to mark his coronation. The portrait of the king, created by British sculptor Martin Jennigs, is accompanied by a Tudor crown. The description of the coin reads 'CHARLES III - DEI - GRA - REX - FID - DEF'. The initials of the designer "MJ" are included.

This product is part of the following product sets: