Piedfort coins are imbued with their own fascinating history, tracing back to the twelfth century and including a time, between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, in which they were given by European royalty as 'prestige pieces' to members of their courts.

For more than half a millennium – since being introduced in 1489 during the reign of Henry VII – The Sovereign has been used to impress and convey importance. The coin returned in 1817, but was nearly consigned to the history books by the economist David Ricardo who planned to replace circulating gold coins with 60oz ingots. The plan was abandoned, and 200 years later The Sovereign survives as the world’s oldest coin still in production.

The modern coin has served as stage for the work of Benedetto Pistrucci and is considered one of the all-time greats of numismatic art. His St George and the dragon design stands out in incredible detail, struck with the precision and accuracy for which The Royal Mint is known and respected for around the world.