Double sovereign

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For the British coin valued at two pounds issued for circulation since 1986, sometimes with gold or silver varieties for collectors, see Two pound coin.

Double sovereign
United Kingdom
Value£2
Mass15.976 g
Diameter28.40 mm
Composition.917 gold (22 carat)
Gold0.4708 troy oz
Years of minting1820, 1823–1826, 1831, 1887, 1893, 1902, 1911, 1937. 1953, 1980, 1982–1983, 1985, 1987–1993, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002–present
Mint marksS (1887 and 1902 only)
Obverse
DesignReigning British monarch (Elizabeth II shown)
Reverse
DesignSaint George and the Dragon
DesignerBenedetto Pistrucci
Design date1817 (first used on double sovereign in 1820)

The double sovereign is a

obverse and, most often, Benedetto Pistrucci's depiction of Saint George and the Dragon
on the reverse.

The double sovereign was first minted in 1820 and depicted

proof coins
; the denomination was issued for circulation in only four years. Few examples that are worn from commercial use can be found.

Since 1980, the double sovereign has been sold as a collector's coin by the Royal Mint. In some years it was not issued and the Royal Mint instead placed gold versions of the commemorative £2 piece in the gold proof sets.

Origins and early striking

Gold coin showing a man's bust
Gold coin showing a naked man, intended to be a knight, battling a dragon
George III double sovereign

After the Napoleonic Wars, Parliament, by the Coinage Act 1816, placed Britain officially on the gold standard, with the pound to be defined as a given quantity of gold. Almost every speaker in the parliamentary debates supported having a coin valued at twenty shillings, rather than continuing to use the guinea, valued at twenty-one shillings.[1] Nevertheless, the Coinage Act did not specify which coins the Mint should strike.[2]

A committee of the

numismatic interests.[4] The sovereign and half sovereign were both first issued in 1817, but there was initially no striking of the two larger coins.[5] Since 1754, there had been no issuance of coins more valuable than a guinea intended for general circulation; the need for higher value tender had been met by bank notes.[6] The Saint George and the Dragon design was suggested as an appropriate motif for the sovereign by its creator, Benedetto Pistrucci, based on a cameo he had carved.[7] Sir Joseph Banks also recommended to William Wellesley-Pole, the Master of the Mint, that Pistrucci's design be adapted for use on the coinage.[6]

In December 1819, possibly because of the decline in the health of King George III (r. 1760–1820), Wellesley-Pole instructed Pistrucci, who was then acting as chief engraver of the Royal Mint, to prepare dies for the double sovereign (two pounds) and the five-pound piece. Nineteenth-century numismatic writer Edward Hawkings portrayed this as a race against time to complete the dies before George died, which he related was won by the Royal Mint's craftsmen; later researchers have found the king died before the new coins were ready.[8] The double sovereign, designed by Pistrucci, depicts the right-facing bust of the king with the legend GEORGIUS III D G BRITANNIAR REX F D (George III by the grace of God king of the Britains, defender of the faith) and the date, while the reverse shows Pistrucci's George and Dragon design with no legend or date.[9] This design had first appeared on the sovereign in 1817, surrounded by a Garter.[10] The reverse design has Pistrucci's initials at the lower right, whilst lettering on the edge states DECUS ET TUTAMEN ANNO REGNI LX (An ornament and a safeguard; sixtieth year of the reign).[9] A total of 60 pieces are reported to have been struck.[11]

Gold coin showing a man's bust
Gold coin showing a naked man, intended to be a knight, battling a dragon
George IV double sovereign

In 1823, Pistrucci's reverse was used again on the double sovereign, joined with an obverse bust of the new king,

Francis Chantrey; believing he should not be called upon to adapt the work of another artist, Pistrucci had refused to convert Chantrey's bust to a coin. The double sovereign had the same inscription around the monarch's head as in 1820 except IIII was substituted for III, and the date was moved to the reverse. The 1823 issue had the same edge inscription as the 1820 piece, except the Roman numeral was IV (fourth [year of the reign]) for 1823 issues.[12] Thus, the same number, 4, is rendered in two different ways as Roman numerals on the same coin.[13]

The 1824, 1825 and 1826

proof coins feature a smaller head of the king, by William Wyon, with the legend GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA (George IV by the grace of God ...) and the date, while the reverse (by Merlen) shows a crowned shield within a mantle cape with the legend BRITANNIARUM REX FID DEF (King of the Britains, defender of the faith). The 1824 issue has the edge inscription DECUS ET TUTAMEN ANNO REGNI QUINTO (An ornament and a safeguard; fifth year of the reign). The 1825 issue has no edge inscription, while the 1826 has the same as 1824, but the final word is changed to SEPTIMO (seventh). Of the four George IV issues, only the 1823 issue was for circulation, the others being struck in small numbers as proof coins, with the 1826 part of the proof set of that year.[12]

Gold coin showing a man's bust
Gold coin showing a crowned shield
William IV double sovereign

In 1831, a proof coin of this denomination was produced as part of the proof set marking the new coinage of King William IV (r. 1830–1837). The obverse, by Wyon based on a bust by Chantrey, shows a right-facing head of the king with the legend GULIELMUS IIII D G BRITANNIAR REX F D (William IV by the grace of God king of the Britains, defender of the faith), while the reverse, by Merlen, shows a crowned shield with the legend ANNO 1831 (year 1831). There is no edge inscription.[12]

Victorian and early 20th century issues

After 1831, the double sovereign was not struck again until 1887. For reasons unknown, it was not struck as part of the proof sets of 1839 or 1853.[14] Kevin Clancy of the Royal Mint notes the gap of over a half century and deems it an illustration of how small a part the two-pound and five-pound pieces played in the everyday life of the Victorian era.[15] According to the numismatist G. P. Dyer, "two-pound and five-pound pieces later played so small and infrequent a part that in 1893 they could be regarded as hardly more than ornaments".[16] Few double sovereigns examined today show any signs of circulation, and when they do, they are from the four years in which the denomination was struck for commerce: 1823, 1887, 1893 and 1902.[17]

Gold coin showing a woman's bust
Gold coin showing a naked man, intended to be a knight, battling a dragon
1887 double sovereign (part of the Jubilee coinage)

In 1887, the double sovereign was struck as part of the

Joseph Boehm and Pistrucci's George and Dragon reverse. This coin was available both in uncirculated condition and as a proof coin. Richard Lobel, in his Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins, deems the 1887 issue the "best known and most popular example of this denomination",[18] something borne out by its mintage of 91,345 in uncirculated and 797 in proof, the highest of any double sovereign.[19][20] It bears the inscription, on the obverse, of VICTORIA D G BRIT REG F D (Victoria, by the grace of God, queen of the Britains, defender of the faith).[18] The use of Pistrucci's design on the gold coinage did not win universal acclaim; the Church Times stated, "We cannot join in the applause which has been bestowed on the George of Pistrucci, which is retained for the sovereign. It is not likely that anyone going out to fight dragons would forget to put on any clothes except a helmet, a cloak, and a pair of shoes."[21]

On 26 September 1887, two sets of dies, mint marked "S", were sent from the London premises of the Royal Mint to the Sydney Mint. It is thought that the Sydney Mint only struck coins to order, and few double sovereigns were called for. After that mint closed at the end of 1926, its equipment, including the 1887 dies, were sent to the Melbourne Mint, where additional specimens were struck from the original dies. The total mintage of the 1887-S double sovereign is believed to be 28.[22]

The Jubilee coinage was replaced by the

Lord Salisbury, wrote to her, "Your Majesty's Servants are of opinion that the title of Empress of India, indicating, as it does, Your Majesty's relation to far the larger portion of Your subjects, ought to appear on the coin, in the shape of the letters 'Ind Imp' or 'I.I.' or some such abbreviation."[25] IND IMP, short for INDIAE IMPERATRIX or "empress of India", thus appears on the 1893 issue.[25]

Following the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, an effort was made to minimise the changes to the coinage, and no change was made to the reverse side of the gold coins, including the double sovereign. The gold coins were made legal tender effective 1 January 1902 by a proclamation dated 10 December 1901. The obverse showed a bust of Victoria's son and successor,

Boer War; these words last appeared on British coinage in 1953.[26] Struck in both uncirculated and proof conditions, the double sovereign was only issued during Edward's reign in 1902. It was struck then also at Sydney in very small numbers.[27]

Double sovereigns dated 1911 were struck as part of the coronation proof sets that year for George V (r. 1910–1936), but for uncertain reasons, no ordinary, non-proof specimens were coined. This was the only issuance of double sovereigns during that reign. These coins featured a bust of King George by Bertram Mackennal, Pistrucci's reverse and a legend that was unaltered except to substitute the name of the king, rendered as GEORGIVS V.[28][29]

Gold coin showing a man's bust
Gold coin showing a naked man, intended to be a knight, battling a dragon
George VI double sovereign

Following the death of King George in 1936, preparations began for the coinage of his son and successor,

Thomas Humphrey Paget were struck. The Pistrucci reverse was used for the double sovereign, but the king's abdication in December 1936 ended the preparations. Edward later requested a set of the pattern coins prepared for him, but was refused by his brother and successor, George VI (r. 1936–1952).[30] The legend on Edward's double sovereign was identical to that of the previous reign but for the name and date; a similar change was made for George VI, whose double sovereign features a left-facing bust by Paget and the Pistrucci reverse. This was only struck in 1937, with a plain edge, as part of the coronation proof sets.[31][32]

Elizabeth II and Charles III

A gold coin together with a small certificate and the green box they have been packaged in
Proof 1991 double sovereign with box of issue and certificate of authenticity

The reign of Queen

British Commonwealth, which by then contained some republics.[34]

The Royal Mint realised there was a market for sovereign coins, and began to sell them to collectors at well over face or

commemorative £2 piece issued that year. In 1989, the usual designs were replaced with a commemorative evoking the design of the original English sovereign of 1489, by Bernard Sindall.[37][38]

The special designs for the reverse which were substituted for Pistrucci's included one for

Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee (another modern interpretation of the George and Dragon, by Paul Day).[39] Beginning with some 2015 issues, an obverse portrait of Elizabeth by Jody Clark was used, though in 2016, some coins bore a different portrait of the queen by James Butler. In 2017, a version with the original, 1817 sovereign design was struck. This was for the 200th anniversary of the modern sovereign.[40][41]

In 2022, the Royal Mint struck double sovereigns with a reverse design by Noad showing an interpretation of the

coronation of Charles III was struck, with the obverse a crowned portrait of the king by Jennings and the reverse the Pistrucci George and Dragon.[45] For 2024, Jennings' uncrowned portrait of Charles was paired with Pistrucci's reverse on each of the five sovereign denominations struck in proof, from the quarter sovereign to the five-pound piece.[46]

References

  1. ^ Clancy, pp. 52–55.
  2. ^ Seaby, pp. 116–117.
  3. ^ Marsh, p. 7.
  4. ^ Clancy, p. 57.
  5. ^ Spink 2022a, p. 466.
  6. ^ a b Bull, p. 3.
  7. ^ Clancy, p. 58.
  8. ^ Bull, p. 4.
  9. ^ a b Bull, p. 6.
  10. ^ Lobel, p. 453.
  11. ^ Lobel, p. 717.
  12. ^ a b c Lobel, p. 439.
  13. ^ Bull, p. 36.
  14. ^ Lobel, pp. 439–440.
  15. ^ Clancy, p. 75.
  16. ^ Dyer, p. 73.
  17. ^ "The story of the British two pound coin". Chard. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  18. ^ a b Lobel, p. 440.
  19. ^ Lobel, p. 671.
  20. ^ Spink 2022b, pp. 165–187.
  21. ^ Lant, p. 135.
  22. ^ Bull, p. 334.
  23. ^ Lobel, pp. 440, 671.
  24. ^ Lant, pp. 139–140.
  25. ^ a b Stocker, p. 76.
  26. ^ Skellern, pp. 31–33.
  27. ^ Spink 2022a, p. 552.
  28. ^ Spink 2022a, p. 560.
  29. ^ Lobel, pp. 440–441.
  30. ^ "Great Britain: Edward VIII gold proof pattern 5 pounds 1937 PR67 ultra cameo NGC". Heritage Auctions. 26 March 2021. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  31. ^ Spink 2022a, pp. 576–578, 595.
  32. ^ a b c Lobel, p. 441.
  33. ^ Clancy, p. 97.
  34. ^ Seaby, p. 172.
  35. ^ Bull, p. 305.
  36. ^ Spink 2022b, pp. 165–166.
  37. ^ Clancy, pp. 100–101.
  38. ^ Spink 2022b, pp. 165–166, 174–175.
  39. ^ Marsh, pp. 163–172.
  40. ^ Spink 2022b, pp. 167–168.
  41. ^ Marsh, pp. 164, 170, 173.
  42. ^ "The Royal Mint unveils the 2022 Sovereign – the first coin in its Platinum Jubilee collection". Royal Mint. Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  43. ^ "The sovereign 2022 five coin gold proof set". Royal Mint. Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  44. ^ "Queen Elizabeth II memorial sovereign 2022 five-coin gold proof set". Royal Mint. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  45. ^ "The Coronation double sovereign 2023 gold bullion coin". Royal Mint. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  46. ^ "The sovereign 2024 five-coin gold proof set". Royal Mint. Retrieved 6 November 2023.

Bibliography

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