When we first heard that the Royal Mint was releasing a coin commemorating the second birthday of Prince George, we’ll admit to a fair amount of groaning and low expectations. We needn’t have worried as the Royal Mint have taken this seemingly innocuous celebration and produced something very nice indeed.
Benedetto Pistrucci’s St. George & the Dragon is a numismatic design classic, having adorned the British Sovereign for decade after decade, but every now and then even a design classic can be shaken up with some contemporary rethinking. The Royal Mint have had Christopher Le Brun design a modern reinterpretation of the classic scene of St George battling the dragon from the mythical legend. Resisting the urge to clutter the design with countless inscriptions, the reverse side carries only the year of issue alongside the artwork and is all the better for it. This is a fine design in our view and should prove popular.
Available only as a standard ounce of sterling silver at present, the prrof finish coin is nicely packaged, although a little pricey at £80. Mintage is set at 7,500 and the coin is available to order now.
MINTS DESCRIPTION
The Royal Mint has struck a special edition United Kingdom 925 sterling silver £5 coin in honour of the second birthday of His Royal Highness, Prince George of Cambridge on 22 July. The coin bears a contemporary reimagining of the St George and the dragon legend by esteemed artist Christopher Le Brun RA.
Approved by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Her Majesty the Queen and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the new silver £5 coin is minted in Silver Proof finish, and restricted to a limited mintage of just 7,500 coins. The obverse of the coin features the current portrait of Her Majesty the Queen by Jody Clark.
St George is a familiar figure on British coinage, first appearing on English coins with the George nobles – gold coins issued during the reign of Henry VIII. The classic St George and the dragon image created by Benedetto Pistrucci in 1817 has graced the coins of almost every monarch since George III, and Christopher Le Brun’s composition applies a dynamic and new approach to the portrayal of the classic tale.
The Artist
President of the Royal Academy since 2011, Christopher Le Brun has undertaken a number of commissions for The Royal Mint. These include the 2007 Britannia bullion coin, the 50p celebrating the 250th anniversary of Kew Gardens and, more recently, the magnificent Pegasus design that graced the five-ounce gold and silver Proof coins, issued to mark the occasion of the Olympic Games held in London during 2012.
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SPECIFICATION
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | WEIGHT | DIAMETER | FINISH | MINTAGE | BOX / COA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £5 UKP | 0.925 SILVER | 28.28 g | 38.61 mm | PROOF | 7,500 | YES / YES |
I came across this on their site while searching for the 2015 britannia brilliant uncirculated. My instant reaction was I LOVE THIS NEW GEORGE AND THE DRAGON DESIGN! I would actually love to see this design in BU, or maybe as the next 20 for 20 as well.
I like it as well. Pistruccis design is very cool, but so familiar now. It’s great to see a new take on it.