1989 Gold Proof Half-Sovereign - 500th Anniversary of the First Gold Sovereign
Key features:
- Material: Gold
- Grade: Proof
- Weight: 3.99g
Buy a 1989 Gold Proof Half-Sovereign - 500th Anniversary of the First Gold Sovereign
| Quantity | Cost per unit | Starts from |
|---|---|---|
| 1+ | £895.00 | £895.00 |
Description
The 1989 Gold Proof Half-Sovereign was issued to celebrate the 500th Anniversary of the First Gold Sovereign. It is based on a design similar to that of the first gold sovereign issued in 1489. For the obverse impression, a representation Of Ourself as at Our Coronation, seated in King Edward’s Chair, having received the Sceptre with the Cross and the Rod with the Dove, all within the circumscription ‘ELIZABETH.II.DEI.GRA.REG.FID.DEF’ can be seen. The reverse depicts a Shield of Our Royal Arms ensigned by an open Royal Crown, the whole superimposed upon a double Rose (Known as the ‘Tudor Rose’), and with the circumscription ‘ANNIVERSARY OF THE GOLD SOVEREIGN 1489 – 1989’. Both the obverse and reverse designs were created by Bernard Sindall. The 1989 Gold Half-Sovereign Proof is an example of the Gold Half-Sovereign and is a gold coin, being as it suggests, half the value and half of the gold weight of a gold sovereign. Today, the half-sovereign is a commemorative coin, not issued every year and often only collected as part of a set. The Half-Sovereign was introduced a long time ago, in 1544 during the reign of Henry VII. However it was discontinued in 1604 (along with full sovereigns) and no more was minted until 1817. Production ended again in 1926 (1933 in Australia) and except for a few special issues during the Coronation years, it was 1980 when we saw half-sovereigns again. As the value is half of one sovereign, that give the half-sovereign a face value of half a pound or ten shillings - 50p in post-decimal money. The mintage for the 1989 Gold Half-Sovereign Proof was 25,000, although only 10,000 were released in this special presentation box complete with Certificate of Authenticity (COA) from the Royal Mint. Specifications for Gold Half-Sovereign Proof
- Weight: 3.99 g
- Diameter: 19.30 mm
- Thickness: 0.99 mm
- Purity: 22 carat = 91.67% (11/12ths gold, 1/12th copper. Adding copper makes the coin more scratch and dent resistant)
- Gold Content: 3.6575 g = 0.1176 troy ounce
- Face value: £0.50 = 10 shillings (decimal: 50 pence)
- Monarch: Elizabeth II
- These specifications apply to half-sovereigns from 1817.
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The first modern gold proof sovereign was issued by the Royal Mint in 1979. Since then, a gold proof sovereign has been issued every year by the Royal Mint. Proof sovereigns are superior in quality compared to standard bullion sovereigns, with highly polished fields, and cameo raised portraits on the obverse and reverse. Gold proof sovereigns are released in a Royal Mint presentation case with a certificate of authenticity. Proof sovereigns often depict Benedetto Pistrucci’s famous portrayal of St George and the dragon on the reverse of the coin. The reverse design has been changed several times for special commemorative years, such as the 1989 500th anniversary of the sovereign, and the 2002 Golden Jubilee.
M J Hughes Coins are members of the British Numismatic Trade Association – www.bnta.net. We are coin dealers based in Alton, Hampshire (Where we have a shop location). We are always interested in purchasing any coins that you may have for sale, particularly Royal Mint issues and gold coins. We are happy to make no obligation offers, and purchase from a single coin to an entire gold coin collection. You would be more than welcome to visit our shop, or we are happy to travel to you. Please get in contact with us if you would like to discuss further.