Royalty
When all three elements of a coin are right, you can’t go wrong…
Introducing the brand new British Isles Gold Proof Sovereign released to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of VE Day!
Over the years, the popularity of various coins have come and gone. But none have stayed as unrivalled as the Gold Sovereign.
Quite simply, the Sovereign is without a doubt the world’s premier Gold Coin. Struck from 22 Carat Gold to the exact same specification since 1817, it epitomises all that is British.
Traded across the world during the 19th Century and early 20th Century, it became known as “The Chief Coin of the World”, whilst today’s modern Proof Sovereigns show consistent collector interest and regular sell-outs.
Most importantly for the thousands of Sovereign collectors around the world, it’s a coin that demands attention and the intricate detail and sell-out status remains unrivalled.
FIFTEEN TIMES more limited than the UK’s most recent Proof Sovereign
Serious collectors tend to look at three key things when choosing a coin to add to their collection.
When all three elements are right, you can’t go wrong. And that’s definitely the case with the BRAND NEW British Isles Gold Proof Sovereign that has just been issued by the Isle of Man for 2020.
1. The edition limit
2. The country of issue
3. The subject and design
Let’s take each of the three key elements in turn…
1. The edition limit
This is simple. The coin is limited to just 495 pieces. This is more than 15 times RARER than the UK’s recent Gold Proof Sovereign.
Let me give you a few comparisons of recently issued Sovereigns:
495 coins is a tiny edition limit for a gold Sovereign-specification coin such as this.
2. The country of issue
Importantly this is a British Isles issue, authorised by the Government of Isle of Man. That means that it benefits from a sterling denomination, as well as the associated interest for British Isles coins within the UK.
3. The subject and design
This is the BIGGEST of all the ticks, especially when combined with the edition limit.
This year we mark the 75th Anniversary of VE Day. The day which signalled the end of World War II in Europe and brought long-awaited peace to our nation.
Here are just some of the national plans to celebrate:
- The May Bank Holiday has changed from Monday to Friday for the VE Day anniversary.
- Bells in churches and cathedrals across the country will take part in a Ringing out for Peace celebration.
- Street parties and celebrations at pubs, clubs, hotels, village greens and halls have been planned up and down the country.
- A national service of commemoration and celebration.
As I mentioned previously, when all three elements of a coin are right, you just can’t go wrong. And I am certain that demand will exceed availability. Especially when a strike of just 495 coins have been authorised for release.
And that’s before you consider the design…
The reverse is very fitting. The Union Flag fills up the complete surface of the coin while the text ‘VE DAY’ is displayed up large at the centre.
So I am sure you can now understand why serious collectors will want to own the remarkable new VE Day 75th Anniversary Gold Proof Sovereign. It’s the perfect coin to mark 75 years since our country rejoiced as Allied victory swept across Europe and our nation’s soldiers, sailors and airmen began their journey home.
I know it’s easy to sing the praises of every new coin. But, this one REALLY DOES tick all three key collecting boxes. All of the elements of this latest Gold Sovereign lend themselves to a complete sell-out.
Given the symbolic anniversary, the fact it carries a sterling denomination, and a strike of just 495 coins have been authorised, I am certain that demand will exceed availability.
The 100 year old tin that was delivered to ‘every sailor afloat and every soldier at the front’…
As they left for war in Autumn 1914, the soldiers, and the country, believed that it would all be over by Christmas of that year. We know now that the brutal conflict was to drag on for another 4 years, but Christmas 1914 became famous for being the first respite from the war.
Many felt the need to show give a small token of appreciation to those who had put their lives on the line. And so, on 30th October 1914, Princess Mary launched her Christmas Gift fund. She asked the public:
“I want you now to help me send a Christmas present from the whole nation to every sailor afloat and every soldier at the front.”
And they did. Her appeal was met with an enthusiastic response, eventually raising over £162,000 (an incredible sum at the time). This led to the memorable Princess Mary’s Gift Box. It was a beautiful embossed brass box, 128 x 84 x 30mm (5 x 3.3 x 1.2 inches), containing one ounce of pipe tobacco, 20 cigarettes, pipe, a tinder lighter, a Christmas card and a photo of Princess Mary.
On Christmas Day 1914 alone, almost 500,000 Christmas tins were distributed to British service personnel. The boxes were sent to “every sailor afloat and every soldier at the front” in accordance with Princess Mary’s wishes.
A large number of these tins were subsequently damaged in the war, with many being blown apart by shells or corroded in the wet conditions in the trench. However, the boxes that have survived are now distinctive mementoes of the war’s first Christmas.
They are also absolutely fascinating historic artefacts – each tin is totally unique and may have even been there in the trenches 100 years ago protecting a young tommy’s keepsakes. They each tell their own story, and just looking at them you can see the small bits of damage, the smells and stains that tell the story of how they survived 100 years to remind us of the soldiers who suffered the extreme conditions of the Great War.
With the festive season approaching, it is especially important to remember those soldiers who would have received one of these tins. It’s hard not to think about a young tommy, sitting in his trench on Christmas Day, opening his Princess Mary Christmas tin as carols drifted across No-Man’s Land.
If you’re interested…
We have a limited number of genuine Christmas Tins available and ready to deliver for Christmas, with 5 coins all from 1918. But with such a limited number available you will need to be quick to own this ultimate Christmas gift… Check out the video to see Adam explain what makes this tin so special or click here to order yours now >>>
The blend of fact and fiction that resulted in the world’s most beautiful coin
Storytelling is one of humanity’s oldest pastimes, with events being captured and passed on for centuries though art, music and dance long before we were writing them down. And one of the oldest and most reliable ways a country can tell its stories is through its coins.
This should come as no surprise. If you think about it, currency is the constant that has always been around in one form or another. It’s continually evolving and adapting to the next chapter in the story.
But there’s one coin in particular that holds more meaning than most – as it blends fact with fiction to produce the world’s most beautiful coin, Una and the Lion.
Controversial, yet beyond improvement
In 1839 William Wyon was commissioned to design a new coin to commemorate the anniversary of Queen Victoria’s coronation.
But it made headlines. It was controversial.
In a bold move it depicted Queen Victoria as the fictional character Lady Una, from Edmund Spenser’s epic poem The Faerie Queene. Never before had someone, let alone a ruler, been featured on a coin as a fictional character.
The design shows Lady Una walking alongside her guardian and symbol of England, the lion. It is symbolic of the young monarch leading her vast empire.
Whilst a daring move, the coin was an instant success. Critics hailed it as “beyond improvement”, and to this day it’s regarded as one of the most beautiful coins to have ever been struck.
Part of its beauty was the high relief, providing exquisite intricate detail to the fictional design. But in many ways this was also its downfall, as it meant the coin could not be struck with any consistency. As a result the commemorative was only struck for one year, producing just 400 coins. This makes it extremely rare!
The inspiration: a princess and her protector
Published in 1590, The Faerie Queene, is one of the longest and most distinguished poems in the English language. It was written during the height of the Renaissance when England had just broken away from the Catholic Church and formed its own Protestant Church. Set against the backdrop of this turbulent religious landscape, The Faerie Queene draws on history and myth to deliver numerous tales of romance, adventure, battles, morality and religion.
The first book of the epic poem follows the trials and tribulations of Lady Una – the young and beautiful daughter of a king and queen who have been imprisoned by a ferocious dragon. In a bid to save her parents she embarks on a quest, but on her journey she encounters a fierce lion who plans to eat her.
In a twist of events the lion is so captivated by Una’s beauty and innocence that he abandons his plans to eat her, and instead he becomes her protector and companion.
Together, the iconic pair have become a symbol of beauty, strength and endurance.
The most beautiful coin just became even more exquisite
The Royal Mint has just released a brand new UK Una and the Lion 2oz Silver Proof coin, featuring this iconic and highly sought-after design motif.
Finding an original Una and the Lion coin is virtually impossible, so this may be one of the only ways to secure this design motif for your own collection.
But with an edition limit of just 3,000 worldwide, there aren’t many available for collectors.
As an official Royal Mint distributor, we have secured a limited number for Westminster collectors.
Click here to find out more and add this iconic coin to your collection >>