Royal Mint, 2002 Golden Jubilee Full Sovereign

Golden Jubilee Sovereign

This was only the second time in over a century that a design other than the familiar St. George and Dragon reverse was used on British gold sovereigns. The previous occasion was in 1989 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the very first gold sovereign.  The 1989 sovereigns were only issued as proofs, and are now difficult to obtain.

The shield reverse was last used for Queen Victoria from 1838 to 1887 inclusive. 1887 was Victoria’s Golden Jubilee year, and the design of the sovereigns was changed in that year. In fact for the date 1887, three different sovereign designs were issued. It is perhaps fitting, then, that the Royal Mint chose not only to change the gold sovereign design for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, but also reverted back to the shield design.

Obverse

The obverse bears the fourth portrait of Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley with the inscription:

ELIZABETH·II·DEI·GRA REGINA·FID·DEF.

Reverse

The reverse engraving marks the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. The Shield design of the Royal Arms within a wreath of laurel was created by Timothy Noad, a herald painter at the College of Arms.