ROYAL MINT COMMEMORATES PISTRUCCI'S 1817 DESIGN

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V20 2017 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 20, Number 27, July 2, 2017, Article 21

As a kid I inherited an 1821 crown from my step-grandfather, and ever since I've been captivated by the classic St. George and the dragon design, which I later learned was by the master engraver Pistrucci. This article by Coin Update's Michael Alexander discusses the Royal Mint's new coin struck to honor the 200th anniversary of the design. They are piedforts (double thickness coins), another fact i would later learn in my numismatic career. -Editor

The Royal Mint have launched (26th June) two additional sovereign anniversary coins to mark the iconic coin's bicentennial. The sovereign was first struck in 1817 as part of the United Kingdom's historic Great Coinage Act of 1816. The reverse of each coin is to feature Pistrucci's original 1817 masterpiece with the full garter border and inscription, which in 2017 has been struck for the first time since 1820. The design has been carefully remastered from the master engraver's tools.

One of the new anniversary issues, a piedfort sovereign coin, is the first of its kind. Piedfort coins—which are simply double thickness in their specifications—originate from France and were first seen in the 12th century. Their name, translated to English, means “heavy measure.”

The sovereign is occasionally struck on the day of historic occasions, normally to mark significant royal events. In addition to the piedfort anniversary coin, to mark the exact date of this historic occasion, a “Strike on the Day” Brilliant Uncirculated coin will be struck on the 1st July 2017—the 200th anniversary of the proclamation that revived the sovereign in 1817. This will be the only coin in the anniversary range that will be produced with a plain, rather than a reeded, edge. Mintage will be limited to 1,817 pieces, a number chosen to reflect the year 1817.

Along with these two special sovereign coins, a special-edition £5 gold piece (or 5-sovereign piece) will also be issued. Not to be confused with the gold versions of the £5 crown, which is often referred to as a 5-sovereign piece, the 2017 five-sovereign anniversary coin is one of the most anticipated releases for avid collectors. This year's issue is particularly special, as it marks the first time that the Royal Mint has used Pistrucci's original masterpiece with the full inscription and garter design on a 5-sovereign piece. The largest coin in the sovereign family, it contains five times the gold of a single sovereign and is finished to Brilliant Uncirculated standard.

See the full article for more images and information, including mintages, which are quite low - only 1,000 of the £5 gold will be produced. -Editor