Today, the Royal Mint unveiled the next coin in its Great Engravers Collection, paying tribute to Benedetto Pistrucci’s St George and the dragon.
A skilled gem engraver, Pistrucci created a series of masterpieces, including the iconic St George and the dragon design for the Sovereigns of 1817, which was subsequently adapted for the 1818 crown.
The Royal Mint’s expert craftspeople have brought this historic design into the 21st Century using modern and traditional technologies. Following the digital remastering process, high-precision milling machines were used to cut the coining dies, which were then hand-finished before hardening, and the frosted elements were added using lasers. The raised edge inscription was created using laser technology on the smaller coins, with each edge on larger coins individually cut and hand-finished. Inspired by the original Latin edge inscription on the 1818 Crown, which relates to the 58th year of George III’s reign, the new collector’s piece now references the reign of His Majesty King Charles III.
The Great Engravers Collection celebrates some of the finest artists and engravers to have worked ton British coinage. Previous launches for the collection have celebrated iconic designs by former Royal Mint Chief Engravers Thomas Simon and William Wyon.
The coin is available in a range of editions. For more information on the collection, click here.