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500th anniversary gold proof Half Sovereign from The Royal Mint, graded by NGC.
In 1989, the Mint marked five centuries since the first gold Sovereigns were struck during the reign of King Henry VII. It's these historic coins that inspired Bernard Sindall's designs for the 1989 Sovereign range, which portrays Queen Elizabeth II crowned and seated on one side with a crowned shield of arms on a Tudor rose on the other.
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The reverse of 1989 gold Half Sovereigns was inspired by Tudor coins. Bernard Sindall's design features a crowned shield of royal arms on top of a Tudor rose with 'ANNIVERSARY · OF · THE · GOLD · SOVEREIGN · 1489 · 1989' around.
The obverse displays an unusual full-length portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, seated on a throne with a sceptre in each hand. The lettering around the edge reads 'ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRA · REG · FID · DEF'.
Despite the variant designs, this coin is struck to the same specification as all modern Sovereigns in 7.98 grams of solid 22-carat gold. The attractive proof finish is achieved with multiple strikes of hand-prepared dies.
8,888 of these Half Sovereigns were issued individually by The Royal Mint in 1989, plus coins in sets. This 500th-anniversary release remains notable for its alternate obverse and reverse and is sought after by collectors.
1989 Half Sovereigns were originally issued in a leather box with a certificate. This example is supplied sealed in its Numismatic Guaranty Company holder with a unique NGC certification number displayed on the label.
