2005 Gold Half Sovereign Elizabeth II Proof

The 2005 gold proof half sovereign, featuring a special single year one-off design of St. George and the Dragon on the reverse.

This half sovereign is also available in a bullion version.

See the rest of the 2005 Sovereign Collection.

Type Sovereigns

As always we are offer proof half sovereigns at a significant discount from the official Royal Mint issue price.

We discovered in October 2004, that the new 2005 design would be a re-worked and stylised version of the traditional St George & Dragon design which has been used on half sovereigns, with a few breaks, since 1817. The silver crown issued in 1935 for the Silver Jubilee of George V featured a stylised deco version of St. George and the dragon, which is sometimes called the "rocking horse crown". Although we were not around when it was issued, we can guess that it was not universally popular when it was issued, and opinion is still divided about its artistic and aesthetic merits. The Isle of Man also produce half sovereigns with a St. George and dragon design, or a Viking and dragon, these seem to be popular.

New Sovereign Designs

We can predict that the new design will divide opinion, as do all new designs. We tend to be quite positive and receptive to new ideas and designs, and expect to like the new design when we see it. We also believe that the introduction of new ideas and designs is good as it stimulates discussion and interest in collecting coins in general. The traditionalists will no doubt prefer the existing St George design, others will prefer the new design. It is just possible that the combination of old and new will unite these factions, but it is more likely to create and deepen divisions.

Issue Limit and Mintage

The issue limit for the proof version has been reduced from 15,000 to only 7,500 coins. We believe the reduced issue limits combined with special design may lead to an early sell-out, and to increased resale prices for both version of this issue in the future.

The obverse shows the fourth definitive UK coin portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank-Broadley, his initials IRB are below the truncated neck. This effigy appeared on coins from 1998 until 2015.

A modern one off interpretation of St George and the dragon for the reverse of The Sovereign, designed by Timothy Noad.