Description
The 2017 Gold Proof Half Sovereign celebrates the 200th anniversary of the modern Sovereign, first introduced in 1817 during the reign of George III. For this bicentenary issue, The Royal Mint returned to Benedetto Pistrucci’s original Sovereign design, recreating its distinctive garter surround. This example is supplied with its presentation box and certificate of authenticity.
The obverse features Jody Clark’s fifth definitive portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, depicting the Queen facing right and wearing the Diamond Diadem. The date appears within the surrounding obverse inscription, leaving the reverse dedicated to the anniversary design.
The reverse presents a remastered interpretation of Pistrucci’s Saint George slaying the dragon, enclosed within the garter border associated with the original 1817 Sovereign. It carries the inscription “HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE”, the motto of the Order of the Garter, commonly translated as “Shame be to him who thinks evil of it”. The return of this framing gives the coin a clear visual connection to the beginnings of the modern Sovereign.
Struck in 22 carat gold to proof standard, the 2017 Half Sovereign captures the detail of this historic composition in a compact format. Its bicentenary design, presentation box and accompanying certificate make it a distinctive commemorative issue within the Half Sovereign series.
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