Thursday, 28th February 2008 (1655 views)

The British Royal Mint is commemorating 200 years of its production of gold sovereigns with a limited edition two-coin set, according to reports.

According to Goldprice, gold sovereigns were first struck by the Mint on the orders of Henry VII in 1489. When James I ascended to the throne in 1603, however, their production was halted until George III revived the coins in 1817.

The 22ct commemorative gold sovereigns are dated 1948 and 2008. The hand-polished 2008 coin features England's patron saint, St George, slaying the dragon. On the reverse is a contemporary portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

St George and the dragon also feature on the 1948 coin, with a rendering of the young Queen on the reverse.

Both coins come with an individually-numbered certificate of authenticity signed by the chief executive of the Royal Mint and production is limited to 250 sets.

The Royal Mint has its origins in the London Mint, which was established in 886 AD by Alfred the Great. It was based at the Tower of London for 500 years and former Masters of the Royal Mint include Sir Isaac Newton, who held the office until his death in 1727.

 

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