Just thought I'd share with the forum that it seems in order to mark 200 years of the "modern" sovereign, the 2017 design will be based on the 1817. Should be interesting to see what they come up with.
2009 5-coin Sovereign proof set is best (IMHO): For 2009, we are told that the reverse dies will revert to dies produced from masters in the Royal Mint Museum, and possibly worked on by Benedetto Pistrucci himself. The New Old Thing It's not often that something so new is so old. We believe the reversion to original, or near original masters should provide better definition, and therefore more attractive coins. According to the Royal Mint: The 2009 Gold Proof Sovereigns 'I have thought it desirable to employ Mr Pistrucci, an artist of the greatest celebrity...' So wrote William Wellesley Pole in a letter to the Treasury in 1816. The Master of the Mint was overseeing a major reform of the coinage and wanted British coins not only to be perfectly produced but also to be works of art in their own right. Benedetto Pistrucci was to prove a wise choice. He engraved a series of remarkable portraits of George III and, for the new gold sovereign created a design of such classic beauty that it has endured to this day. Now, for the sovereign family of 2009, Royal Mint Engravers have used original tools most of which were almost certainly worked on by Pistrucci himself. For the original sovereign of 1817 St George is shown holding a shattered lance in his right hand, another portion of which lay on the ground below. Pistrucci constantly strove for perfection in his work, however, and made an important change to his masterpiece for the silver crown of 1818 when he replaced the broken lance with a short sword. Although subsequent sovereigns of George III remained unchanged, it was this amended version that would appear on the first sovereigns of George IV issued in the early 1820s. Other changes are evident on these sovereigns, too, for the surrounding garter belt had been removed and the Saint's helmet stripped of its streamer; the streamer was restored on the sovereign in 1887, Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee year. The portrait of the Queen too has been influenced by the first modern sovereigns: Ian Rank- Broadley has confessed a great admiration for Pistrucci and 'being inspired particularly by his portrait of George III, I wished to revive elements of his work in this portrait'. The Collection The collection of 2009 therefore consists of companion coins that each bear Pistrucci's dynamic masterpiece in all its original glory yet show fascinating idiosyncrasies that make them entirely individual. It also, for the first time, includes a quarter-sovereign. In the hands of different engravers during its long history, Pistrucci's classic has been adjusted in minor ways many times more - the streamer from St George's helmet has come and gone while other elements of the design have been revised. Happily, though, the original coinage tools have been preserved. They were entrusted to the Royal Mint Engraving Team who, for the 5, the double-sovereign and the sovereigns of 2009, manufactured the coinage dies directly from Pistrucci's originals. For the half-sovereign, tools used to produce the coins of 1893 were needed since not until that year did Pistrucci's St George and the dragon at last appear on its reverse. This is the first time that these tools have been used directly in the modern production process.
Wow, that was a fascinating read. Being new to all this stuff, I had no idea about all this. Thanks so much for sharing.
And here's the new-old design of the 2017 sovereign: http://www.royalmint.com/our-coins/ranges/sovereign Looks quite beautiful, if also a little "frilly"
So they decided to use the original 1817 St George design for the 2017 (200 anniversary of the Pistrucci St George design). Thanks for sharing.
You're welcome. I'm wondering if the bullion sovereigns will also have the same design... the proofs on sale now are extremely expensive.
Just ordered the proof Sovereign. A bit steep at 430, but I suspect this 2017 will end up the same as the 1989, i.e. upwards of 1100 a piece. Usually I only buy straight bullion coins, minimum premium. - Gold is Gold, I don't go in for the numismatic side. Unless it's pretty certain the coin will go up.
I would love to own one of these, but I just can't afford it. Hopefully they come out with a bullion version that will be in my price range.
I picked up the Sovereign (Max Mintage 13,050 80% reserved) and a Half-Sovereign (Max Mintage 5,150) on a whim.
Picked up the 2017 Sovereign. Here are some pics [imgz=http://forums.silverstackers.com/uploads/29530_sovereign_2017_reverse_-_copy.jpg][/imgz] [imgz=http://forums.silverstackers.com/uploads/29530_29530_sovereign_2017_front11_-_copy.jpg][/imgz]