Posts by Chris Bowditch
The most important gold coin in the world right now
As I’m sure you know, this year we celebrate the milestone 95th birthday of our monarch, Queen Elizabeth II.
This is a crucial moment in our country’s history. She is longest reigning head of state that the UK, and in fact the world, has ever seen. Amazingly, 81% of the British population has been born following her coronation, so she is the only monarch that the majority of us have ever known.
This makes her reign one of the most important and impressive in Britain’s history.
To mark this momentous occasion The East India Company has issued a special limited edition Gold Proof Sovereign that’s frankly the most important gold coin in the world right now.
You’ll understand when you see the design and the edition limit. These two things are going to make this Sovereign one of the most sought-after gold coins in history, and the very pinnacle for all collectors looking to mark the Queen’s birthday…
Nostalgic Mary Gillick Portrait
It goes without saying that Sovereigns are one of the most collected coins in the world. Known in the 19th century as ‘the chief coin of the world’ it has maintained its global reputation for accuracy, integrity and beauty.
Whilst the reverse of this Sovereign depicts the iconic image of St George slaying the dragon, it’s the obverse that’s going to have collectors rushing to secure this coin.
You see, The East India Company has been given special permission to use the very first official portrait of the Queen by Mary Gillick on this coin’s obverse, making this the first time it has been seen on a Sovereign for over 50 years.
Significantly, the Gillick portrait was the first effigy of Her Majesty to be used on UK coin. This nostalgic effigy, emphasising the Queen’s youth and vitality, represents the beginning of her reign and is the perfect tribute to her impressive reign and legacy.
Over Ten Times Rarer than the UK Proof Sovereign
Importantly, the East India Company Gold Proof Sovereign is struck to the same exacting standards as the UK sovereign – in 7.98 grams of 22 Carat Gold. All that differs is the design and – crucially – the edition limit.
It has a strict single coin worldwide edition limit of 750, which when compared to the significantly higher UK 2021 Gold Proof Sovereign edition limit of 7,995 makes this coin over TEN times more limited.
What’s more the UK 2021 Gold Proof Sovereign was also issued specially to mark the 95th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen, and it completely SOLD OUT at the Mint inside nine weeks of release!
The Most Important Gold Coin in the World Right Now
It’s clear that there is high demand this year for commemoratives marking the Queen’s birthday – and it’s only February!
Whilst I suspect we will see many more commemoratives for Her Majesty’s 95th birthday, this Sovereign is undoubtedly the most significant. Frankly, it’s the most important gold coin you can find right now in the world.
The scarcity of these Sovereigns alone will make them highly sought-after amongst collectors, but when you consider the historic use of the Mary Gillick portrait – not seen on a coin for 50 years! – I’m sure they will be at the top of every collector’s must-have list.
Especially if the sell-out of the UK 2021 Sovereign is anything to go by, these coins will be snapped up in a flash.
If you’re interested…
It’s clear that any collector looking to secure one of these rare coins will have to take urgent action.
As an Official Distributor of The East India Company, we are lucky to have a limited number of these significant Sovereigns available for Westminster Collection collectors.
But with so few available, and demand for Queen Elizabeth II commemoratives already at an all-time high, we do not expect that we have enough coins to go around. Therefore, these coins are offered on a strict first-come, first-served basis.
Click here to find out more >>
The reign longer than Queen Elizabeth II?
Queen Elizabeth II is Britain’s longest reigning monarch, and that means that she has adorned the obverse of our coinage since 1953 when the first coins were issued with her portrait. Her reign has seen five different portraits on our coinage and one of the biggest changes to our currency – decimalisation.
And as this month marks the 50th anniversary since the day that Britain officially went decimal, we’ve been taking a look back at British coins and how their stories have changed over time. And there’s one icon that stands out above the rest, one that has featured on coins for far longer than Queen Elizabeth II’s impressive 68 years. I am of course referring to Britannia.
Over 2000 years old!
It’s thought that Britannia first featured on coins in Britain when the Romans arrived under Julius Caesar, but the depiction is wildly different to that which we recognize today. The coins showed a figure, neither male nor female, as a warrior with an inscription along the lines of “DE BRITANNIS”.
It wasn’t until Hadrian arrived in the second century AD that the coins started to feature a female figure with the inscription “BRITANNIA”. These Roman coins are always difficult to find, and many remain buried away even today.
A 1400 year hiatus…
This female figure disappeared from coins, and culture, for over a thousand years, not reappearing until the Tudor period. And even then it wasn’t until Charles II that she finally made her reappearance onto coinage. It’s thought that the rise of Britain as a naval power was the inspiration to include Britannia on coinage again.
Britain’s largest penny
Under George III a one penny and two penny coin were introduced in an attempt to restore confidence in British currency. The intrinsic value of the metal plus an allowance for the cost of production was made equal to the nominal value of the coin. This made them very heavy and a lot larger than other coins in circulation – giving them the nickname ‘Cartwheels‘.
Importantly though, as Britannia had become more and more associated with the sea, these were the first coins to depict her holding a trident rather than a spear.
The Standing Britannia
Throughout history Britannia has been depicted on several denominations of coins, usually pennies or half pennies. Often she was shown seated with the sea in the background, and never before had she been issued on a Florin. After the long Victorian tradition of a crowned cruciform shield for the reverse, a new Britannia design was issued as King Edward VII took to the throne. A truly beautiful design, it shows Britannia with her trident, shield, and stood powerfully against the sea. Only issued during King Edward VII’s short reign, this coin has become incredibly popular for its iconic design and impressive story.
Of course the Britannia has featured and continues to feature on Britain’s coinage, with new depictions on annual releases and even special releases such as the 2019 commemorative 50p. It certainly looks like she’ll continue to have a long reign on our coinage.
If you’re interested:
Secure your very own Silver Standing Britannia Florin. At over 100 years old and with a unique design, they’re in high demand with collectors. Click here to order yours now with a deposit of JUST £13!
The Victorian attempts at decimalisation that didn’t quite go to plan…
Next month marks the 50th anniversary since the UK switched to decimal currency, leaving behind the old Pounds (£), Shillings (/-) and Pence (d) and introducing the decimalised coins we know today. You might even remember Decimal Day in 1971 yourself, using conversion charts and rhymes to learn the new currency and the excitement of seeing the new coins in your change.
In the 1820s, discussions for a new decimal currency had already begun, and in 1849 a new decimal coin was introduced in the UK. But its introduction didn’t quite go as planned and decimalisation was delayed for almost 130 years!
The Florin
The Florin first entered circulation in 1849 and had a value of 1/10th of a pound, or 24 pence (in old money). Supposedly, the name came from a similar coin issued in the Netherlands to help with decimalisation there. The Florin (or Two Shilling Coin) featured a special portrait of Queen Victoria in a medieval gothic style. It was the first time since Charles II that a monarch was depicted on a portrait wearing a crown.
Blamed for famine and sickness
The Gothic portrait was featured on the Florin when it was first introduced in 1849. Because the bust was larger than the previous Young Head portrait, the design omitted ten important letters. The words “DEI GRATIA” had been removed from the coin’s inscription. In a deeply religious society, the fact that the words meaning “by the grace of God” no longer appeared on the coin caused outrage.
Many people believed that the lack of the inscription had angered God and caused famine and sickness at the time, leading many to avoid the coin altogether.
One of the shortest-lived coins in UK history
The public outrage meant that the design was altered to include a shortened version of DEI GRATIA (d.g.) by making the diameter of the coin 2mm bigger. This coin soon became the Gothic Florin and was better received by the public, but it’s safe to say that the disaster with the Godless Florin tainted the idea of decimalisation for many years. It also meant that the Godless Florin circulated for just a few years, making it one of the shortest-lived coins in our history!
A second attempt
The Victorian’s made a second attempt at decimalisation in 1887 in the form of the Double Florin (equivalent to 1/5th of a pound, or 48 pennies), issued with a new portrait of Queen Victoria for her Jubilee. But this coin also wasn’t received well and was withdrawn from circulation completely by 1890.
One of the features that makes the Double Florin stand out in history is that it was almost indistinguishable from the crown coin. Neither carried the denomination, and the only difference between the two (apart from the value) was that the Double Florin was 2mm smaller – not something that was easy to spot by eye. Because the two coins were so easily confused, the Double Florin became infamous for causing barmaid to lose their jobs after they short-changed pub owners!
The Victorians are famed for their innovation and sweeping changes in technology, industry, and culture. The Florin as a denomination did circulate until 1993 when it was eventually demonetised, and whilst there were countless experimentations with coinage and new denominations under Queen Victoria, it seems that the UK wasn’t quite ready for a change as big as decimalisation.
If you’re interested:
With such a fascinating story and sense of history behind it, it is no wonder that the Double Florin is such a highly-regarded British coin. Those that do remain are very difficult to track down and we have a very limited number available. And now you can spread your payment across 5 interest free instalments of JUST £19. Click here to secure yours today before they sell out!