Quarter Sovereign 2024 Saint George and the Dragon, Coin from Saint Helena - detailed information

The sovereign is a gold coin of the United Kingdom, with a nominal value of one pound sterling. Struck from 1817 until the present time, it was originally a circulating coin (see pre-decimal Sovereign) accepted in Britain and elsewhere in the world; it is now a bullion coin not intended for circulation, the intrinsic value of which is much higher than its face value. There are several denominations of the Sovereign: Five Sovereigns (Quintuple Sovereign, five pounds gold), Double Sovereign, Full Sovereign, Half Sovereign and Quarter Sovereign. The quarter sovereign - with face value of 25 pence is the only sovereign denomination with no pre-decimal counterpart; it was introduced in the United Kingdom in 2009.

Apart from the sovereigns of the United Kingdom, the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha has also authorised some mints to issue half sovereigns under its jurisdiction. These are denominated in Saint Helena Pounds - the local variation of the Pound Sterling. Following long-standing tradition, this type of coin has never had its value and denomination spelled out anywhere on the coin.

The mint says about this coin:
William Wyon's reputation as one of history’s greatest coin engravers is forever linked to the reign of Queen Victoria. When Victoria was crowned Queen in 1838 Wyon created the iconic "Young Head" portrait of Victoria, which was so well liked by the monarch that it graced the coins of her reign for nearly 50 years.

Some years later Wyon received a private commission to design a personal medal for Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert. Wyon’s response was his own interpretation of St George and the Dragon, a design full of energy that captured the patron saint of England slaying the dragon beneath his rearing steed, believed to have been modeled upon Prince Albert’s favourite horse, Imaun.

Prince Albert’s Personal Medal was issued to Henry Cole in recognition of his tireless contribution to the Great Exhibition of 1851 and, as Wyon sadly passed away that same year, his interpretation of St George & the Dragon makes a fitting final chapter in a story that began years earlier with his rivalry with Benedetto Pistrucci (who designed the famous Saint George and the Dragon sovereign still issued today).