Commemorative sovereign design

This extraordinary modern commemorative pays homage to the rich heritage and rarity of the double sovereign. Double the weight of a traditional sovereign, its reverse portrays historic motifs originally seen on the Sydney Mint’s ‘colonial’ sovereign of 1855. Nominally valued at two pounds, double sovereigns appeared in Britain during the 1820s. Featuring Benedetto Pistrucci’s classic portrayal of St George and the dragon, these coins were minted only twice in Australia – in 1887 and 1902.

The commemorative 2018 Australia Double Sovereign portrays St Edward’s crown, a laurel wreath, the word AUSTRALIA and historic elements of Leonard Charles Wyon’s original Type I reverse. The inscriptions PERTH MINT and DOUBLE SOVEREIGN are incorporated into the design.