200 Years of the Sovereign

The 200th Anniversary of the First Modern Sovereign is celebrated on the 2017 proof sovereign. This commemorative coin features the famous St George and the Dragon garter design by Benedetto Pistrucci. This stunning design was used on the first modern sovereign that was introduced on the 1817 George III sovereign.

In 1816, the British government commissioned a reform of British coinage. The new coinage was issued in 1817 and included the sovereign which was the modern pound coin.

To celebrate this momentous numismatic occasion, The Royal Mint have remastered the original design from the 1817 George III sovereign. Whilst the St George and the Dragon design has featured frequently in previous years, the garter border and inscription HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE have not been used since 1820.

These coins are presented in a wooden presentation box and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from The Royal Mint.

The proof full sovereigns have a mintage figure of 13,500, however this includes the proof coins being issued as parts of sets. The individual proof sovereign has a limited edition presentation figure of 10,500 coins.

Obverse

The obverse features the fifth definitive UK coin portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Jody Clark, his initials JC are below the truncation. This is the first time since 1887 that the date has been featured on the obverse of the coin. The obverse legend reads:

ELIZABETH II·DEI·GRA·REG·FID·DEF·2017

Reverse

A remastered version of the 1817 iconic St George and the Dragon engraving is featured on the reverse of the coin. The design, by Italian engraver, Benedetto Pistrucci, features the garter border, which has not been appeared on sovereigns since 1820.

Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense

The garter inscription on the St. George and the Dragon reverse reads "Honi soit qui mal y pense", which is French for "Shame be to him who thinks evil of it". This is the motto of the Order of the Garter, the highest order of chivalry in the UK.

Specification

Diameter	22.05mm
Weight	7.9881g
Fineness	0.916
Obverse Designer	Jody Clark
Reverse Designer	Benedetto Pistrucci
Mint	Royal Mint
Mintage	10,500
Finish	Proof

Terms of Sale - Key Points

You can find more information on payment and identification requirements.

Bullion coins are provided as is and on occasion may have some minor scratches or edge knocks. These are not regarded as faulty or damaged goods as their precious metal content and value as a bullion coin is not affected. Any coin sold for a value less than a 180% intrinsic is considered a bullion coin.

Gold investment products are VAT free. Silver investment products are inclusive of VAT at the current rate unless otherwise stated.

All investment products are based on the live precious metal price. Prices will be fixed once the item has been added to the basket and recalculates just before checking out.

If your product is not a graded coin and is considered a bullion item, it should be noted that these are bought and sold on low premiums over their precious metal content and not solely for aesthetic purposes; therefore, some products may have edge knocks and/or marks. These edge knocks and marks do not alter the specifications of the coins.

Please note that all investment products are exempt from the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 and therefore customers do not have the right to cancel their order once the order has been accepted. If customers no longer wish to go ahead with their investment purchase, there is an option to sell the products back to Chard (1964) Ltd instead. View our current buy back prices.

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Delivery Information

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Orders over £1500 we charge a fee in order to cover the increasing costs of insurance. For every £1500 we apply a £1 fee.

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2017 Gold Sovereign Proof