2021 Sovereign – BU Elizabeth II 95th Birthday Special

2021 Gold Sovereign BU Elizabeth 95th Reverse

The 2021 Sovereign - BU Elizabeth II 95th Birthday Special

In the year that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 95th birthday, the 2021 BU Gold sovereign carries a Crown '95' privy mark (on the left of the date) for that year only.

This special edition is actually struck on the Queen's Birthday - 21 April 2021. The coin is issued with a signed certificate confirming the exclusive minting event.

The coins features a fully frosted obverse and reverse, with the reverse having a privy mark. There is a mintage limit of only 1,295 coins.

Benedetto Pistrucci’s famous portrayal of St. George slaying the dragon is depicted on the reverse of the coin.

The Obverse shows a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Jody Clark.

Image credit: The Royal Mint


Mintage: 1,295 (may include coins in sets)
Minted at The Royal Mint.
Remember 2021 ?
The Monarch is Queen Elizabeth II. Prime Minster is Boris Johnson. New (20 January) US President is Joe Biden (D-Delaware) and vice-president is Kamala Harris. The Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic still dominates World news and face masks are the norm. People and Businesses struggle after a long lockdown.
Elizabeth II (1952-2022)
Queen Elizabeth II was the longest reigning British Monarch ever, reigning for over 70 years. 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. She died on 8 September 2022. Some coins were released dated 2023.

Queen Elizabeth II issued many coins and was monarch during decimalisation. She married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in 1947 and had four children. Her eldest son succeeded the throne as King Charles III. House of Windsor.
Category: Sovereigns
The 2021 Sovereign - BU Elizabeth II 95th Birthday Special is an example of the Gold Sovereign and is one of the most ubiquitous of all coins and much sought after by both coin collectors and bullion investors. Sovereigns have been minted since 1817 (in Britain 1817-1917, 1925 and 1957 on). At coins fairs you often hear the dealers refer to these coins as Sovs.

Besides being minted in Britain, Sovereigns have been made in Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Perth), India (then Bombay, now Mumbai), Canada (Ottawa) and South Africa (Pretoria) although these regional mints have not made sovereigns since 1932 (although India has produced some recently in a private mint partnership with the Royal Mint). The non-British coins carry a small mintmark ('S','M','P','I','C' or 'SA') just above the date. This 2021 Sovereign - BU Elizabeth II 95th Birthday Special was minted at The Royal Mint.

The Obverse is the Monarch's head (Elizabeth II) and the Reverse is most often St George and the Dragon, although other backs have been used and are of interest to collectors. The Reverse often gives the Sovs a new term, like "ShieldBacks".

Specifications for the Gold Sovereign
 
  • Weight: 7.9881g
  • Diameter: 22.05 mm
  • Thickness: 1.52 mm
  • Purity: 22 carat = 91.67% (11/12ths gold, 1/12th copper. Adding copper makes the coin more scratch and dent resistant)
  • Gold Content: 113 grains = 7.3224 g = 0.2354 troy ounce
  • Face value: £1 = 20 shillings
  • Monarch: Elizabeth II

History

Up until 1604 there was a coin called the English gold sovereign and in 1816 when there was the "Great Recoinage" the name was revived. At that time standard gold (22 carat) was valued at £46 14s 6d per troy pound; this meant a £1 coin needed to weigh 123.2744783 grains or 7.988030269 g. The weight is still the same today.

As a historical note: to maintain the Gold Standard, in 1816 the value of silver was set at 66 shillings for one troy pound and silver coins were only legal for denominations up to £2.

The first sovereigns carried the head of King George III and the famous George and the Dragon design by Benedetto Pistrucci (29 May 1783 – 16 September 1855), an Italian engraver who became chief medallist at the Royal Mint.

With high value coins such as the 2021 Sovereign - BU Elizabeth II 95th Birthday Special, collectors and bullion investors often worry about forgeries but actually gold coins are very difficult to forge due to gold's unique properties of density and colour. Gold is extremely dense and to use another metal and gold-plate it would result in a coin that is under-weight, over-diameter or half as thick, something that would be spotted very easily. More difficult to spot would be a bullion coin melted down and re-cast as a highly collectable date, but an expert can usually tell these too. You should always use reputable dealers.

Which Mint: The Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the designated place for the UK to mint coins. It dates back well over 1000 years and is a Government-owned company. 

Formed in the reign of Alfred the Great about the year 886, during the period 1279-1812 it was generally referred to as The Tower Mint as it was housed at the Tower of London. The Master of The Royal Mint has included famous figures such as Sir Isaac Newton.

Since 2010 it has operated as Royal Mint Ltd, a company owned by HM Treasury, under an exclusive contract to supply all coinage for the UK although it also produces medals and coins for other countries. It is currently located at Llantrisant, Wales.
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
The United Kingdom (UK) is the Union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is often refered to as Great Britain (GBR). It has a long, rich history.

The orignal coinage was Pounds, Shillings and Pence but since decimalisation on 15 February 1971, it is £1 = 100p, that is One Pound = 100 pence. The coinage of the UK is also a long history, the Royal Mint being established as long ago as 886AD when coins were hammered. Today there is perhaps 30 billion coins in circulation, and many (numismatic) collectors coins and sets are issued frequently in gold, silver and other metals.
If you don't see a coin in the list below try the Sovereigns page on eBay UK
As an eBay Partner, We may be compensated if you make a purchase.

List items on:

Her majesty
Her majesty's 95th birthday. 2021 Silver Sovereign DateStamp™ only 500 made!!
£ 105.00
2021 Queen Elizabeth II 95th Birthday Gold Matte Sovereign -
2021 Queen Elizabeth II 95th Birthday Gold Matte Sovereign - 'SOTD'
£ 725.00
Queen
Queen's 95th Birthday Set 3 sovereign gold coins LTD 100, STOD 95 PRIVY MARK
£ 2,400.00
2021 Queen Elizabeth II 95th Birthday Privy Mark Gold Matte Proof Sovereign SOTD
2021 Queen Elizabeth II 95th Birthday Privy Mark Gold Matte Proof Sovereign SOTD
£ 875.00
UNUSUAL 2021 Isle of Man 9ct  Gold Full Proof Sovereign 8g Queen
UNUSUAL 2021 Isle of Man 9ct Gold Full Proof Sovereign 8g Queen's 95th Birthday
£ 231.35
2021 queen elizabeth 95th birthday Gold Sovereign Set
2021 queen elizabeth 95th birthday Gold Sovereign Set
£ 1,400.00
2021 One Eighth 24ct Solid Gold Proof Sovereign Queens 95th Birthday 1/8 Coin
2021 One Eighth 24ct Solid Gold Proof Sovereign Queens 95th Birthday 1/8 Coin
£ 119.99
2021 gold proof half sovereign coin with Queen
2021 gold proof half sovereign coin with Queen's 95th Birthday mint marking
£ 542.27

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