The reverse of the coin shows the crowned and garnished shield bearing the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom. The shield is quartered, depicting in the first and fourth quarters the three passant guardant lions of England; in the second, the rampant lion and double tressure flory-counterflory of Scotland; and in the third, a harp for Ireland. At centre, an escutcheon of the arms of the Kingdom of Hanover, of which King George IV was King as Georg IV. Augustus Friedrich; the shield is crowned with the Crown of Charlemagne - reflecting the King's role as Arch-Treasurer of the Holy Roman Empire.
The crown on top is St Edward's Crown, named after Saint Edward the Confessor, one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England. It has been traditionally used to crown English and British monarchs at their coronations since the 13th century, with a two-century gap between 1689 and 1911 so King George IV was not himself crowned with it.
The Royal Arms are surrounded by a rose, thistle and shamrock, the floral emblems of England, Scotland and Ireland respectively. In tiny letters at the centre of the shamrock leaves above right, the initials of the Master of the Mint WWP (for William Wellesley-Pole), one letter on each plant.
Around below, separated by the rose, the date of issue ANNO 1821 (from Latin: Year 1821). |
