2011 Queen Elizabeth II Gold Bullion Full Sovereign

Gold Sovereigns are maybe the most famous of all gold coins and much sought after by both coin collectors and Bullion investors. Sovereigns have a long history dating back to 1603 but the modern gold Sovereign has been minted in Britain since 1817, and again from 1817-1917, 1925, 1957–59, 1962–68, 1974, 1976, 1978–82 and 2000 to date. Modern gold bullion Sovereign production was paused after 1982 up until the year 2000, although Proof versions were still issued. The Sovereign disappeared from circulation during the First World War and did not return after the war, although colonial Mints continued to produce the Sovereign until 1932. 

The gold Sovereign is associated with national pride, prestige and exceptional minting quality. The 2011 gold bullion Sovereign coin hosts a portrait of Elizabeth II. HM Queen Elizabeth II is the current and longest reigning British monarch ever. Born on 21 April 1926 to King George VI and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, she became Queen in 1952 and her Coronation was on 2 June 1953.

The first of the modern Sovereign coins carried the head of King George III and the 'St George and the Dragon' design by Benedetto Pistrucci, an Italian engraver who became Chief Medallist at The Royal Mint. 

Buy a 2011 Gold Sovereign 

• This pre-owned 2011 gold bullion Sovereign is struck in 22 carat gold, weighs 7.98g and contains 7.32g of fine gold.
• A mintage of 253,773 bullion Sovereign coins were produced at The Royal Mint for the year 2011 (inclusive of collectors' sets).
• Ideal to mark a 10th wedding anniversary.  
• The gold Sovereign is considered to be one of the world's oldest coins still in production and a pinnacle of minting excellence. 

The year 2011

The year 2011 witnessed upheaval including; the Egyptian revolution, earthquakes in New Zealand and Japan, a rare terrorist attack in Norway, the resignation of Cuba's Fidel Castro, the killings of 9/11 terrorist Osama Bin Laden and Libya's Colonel Gaddifi, the 168-year-old News of the World newspaper ceasing printing after a phone-hacking scandal, and riots in England following a police shooting. It was also a significant year in other ways with; Charlie Sheen's firing and subsequent bizarre TV interviews, the launch of hit series Game Of Thrones, Pope John Paul II beatified, the end of the Iraq war, singer Adele nominated six times at the Grammy awards, and the Royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. 2011 was a poignant year in history, now immortalised in coinage. 

2011 Gold Bullion Sovereign Coin

The Obverse (front, heads) presents Queen Elizabeth II's fourth portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley. Her Majesty is posed in the Royal Diamond crown, which she wore for her coronation, and this design has been used on gold Sovereigns since 1998. The idea of replacing the Maklouf portrait occurred during a competition to design the Obverse of the 1997 Golden Wedding crown. 

The Reverse (back, tails) of the 2011 gold bullion Sovereign coin is that of the classical portrayal of 'St George slaying the Dragon', designed by Benedetto Pistrucci. St George, the Patron Saint of England, is on horseback, sword in hand. On the floor to the left is a broken spear from a previous offensive. Pistrucci's depiction dates back to 1817. He designed and engraved the artwork himself and was paid 100 guineas for his services. This is equivalent to about £8,000 today - it sounds like The Royal Mint got a bit of a bargain there!

The coin includes the inscription, 'DEI GRA REGINA FID DEF', which translates to 'By the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith'. The inscription refers to HM Queen Elizabeth II's position as Supreme Governor of the Church of England, a role Her Majesty has held since her accession to the throne in 1952. 

The 2011 gold bullion Sovereign coin may be supplied in an acrylic capsule.

The Legend of St George and the Dragon

The ancient legend of 'St George and the dragon' dates back to the reign of William of Malmesbury, during the third century, where inspiration for the story was drawn from a Roman soldier who refused to give up his Christian faith. There are many fabled stories associated with St George, the majority of which honour him as a brave hero with English ideals and a symbol of Christianity. The most well-known tale sees St George as a heroic rescuer on horseback sent to rescue a young maiden or princess sacrificed to a dragon, which he slays to save her life. It is widely believed that the dragon was slain at Uffington's Dragon Hill, a Bronze-age site just 20 miles from our premises. Since 1222, St George has been celebrated on the 23rd April every year in England, the country of which the legend is the patron saint. This is despite St George being unlikely to have ever been deemed of English descent. Mythical St George is also the patron saint of Aragon, Catalonia, Georgia, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, Germany and Greece; and of Moscow, Istanbul, Genoa and Venice (second to Saint Mark).