Gold Quarter Ounce 2022 Half Crown, Coin from Saint Helena - detailed information

The obverse of the coin shows the crowned bust of Queen Elizabeth II, facing right (her effigy known as the "Third Portrait"). The Queen is wearing the royal diadem which she used to wear on her way to and from the State Opening of Parliament, a pearl necklace and earrings.

Incuse in tiny letters on the neck truncation, the designer's initials RDM (for Raphael David Maklouf).

Around, the monarch's legend, the face value and the date of issue: ST. HELENA · QUEEN ELIZABETH II · 2022 · £25 · .25 OUNCE 9999 GOLD ·.

The inscription also contains the precious metal content - one quarter of a troy ounce of 99.99% gold.

The background has a decorative geometric pattern.

The reverse of the coin shows the crowned spade-shaped shield bearing bearing the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom, hanging from which is the pendant of the Order of Garter depicting St George slaying the dragon.

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.

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.

In the background, Tudor roses. Repeated twice, in the rim on the left and on the right, the EIC mint mark of the East India Company; the letters are separated by arrows radiating from the centre around which they are situated.

Around, the inscription · DIRIGE DEUS · GRESSUS MEOS ·; translated from Latin, it means "May the Lord direct my steps". The inscription was first used on the Una and the Lion five gold sovereigns in 1839.

Finish: bullion (Brilliant Uncirculated).

Note that this design is NOT a "spade guinea" or a "sovereign" as it is called elsewhere.