1989 Gold Proof Half Sovereign 500th Anniversary NGC PF 65 Cameo

This is the 1989 Gold Proof Half Sovereign 500th Anniversary Coin from the Royal Mint.

This 1989 gold proof half sovereign celebrates the 500th anniversary of the sovereign coin. It features the much sought-after Coronation obverse and Tudor rose reverse, by Bernard Sindall.

Struck in 22-carat gold (0.9167 fineness), this half sovereign has been graded by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation and has been given the grade of PF-65. It is worth noting the coins are also Cameo, meaning there the fields are deeply mirrored and the devices are frosted for moderate contrast on both sides of the coins.

A total of 21,824 of these gold proof half sovereigns were issued. Of these, 8,888 were issued individually with the rest as part of the 3-coin and 5-coin sets. 

500th Anniversary of the Gold Sovereign

Even though the 1989 gold proof sovereigns are one of the most sought-after sovereign coins, the coins were not universally popular upon their release. The Royal Mint failed to sell out of their entire issue limit, possibly due to the coins not featuring Benedetto Pistrucci's St. George and Dragon design.

The Mint have made one-off design sovereigns in 2002, 2005, 2012, and 2017, all of which have been popular. These special issues may have contributed to the increased interest in the 1989.

The obverse features a representation of Queen Elizabeth II at her coronation. She is seated facing on a throne and is holding the Sceptre with the Cross and the Rod with the Dove. The legend reads:

ELIZABETH II • DEI • GRA • REG • FID • DEF

The reverse of the 1989 Elizabeth II gold sovereign mirrors its 500 year old original counterpart. The Royal Arms shield is surmounted by the royal crown, both of these images are superimposed upon a double Tudor rose. The inscription reads:

1489-1989 ANNIVERSARY OF THE GOLD SOVEREIGN

Both the reverse and the obverse designs were created by the sculptor, Bernard Sindall.