BEHIND THE CRAFT
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Behind the Craft - George and the Dragon Silver

In 1816 William Wyon was an Assistant Engraver at The Royal Mint when he entered a competition to design new coins for the Great Recoinage.

His submission, The Three Graces, lost out to Benedetto Pistrucci’s iconic St George & The Dragon design, creating an early rivalry between the two men.

Despite this setback William Wyon’s reputation flourished, forever linked to the reign of Queen Victoria.

He created the famous Young Head portrait when Victoria became Queen, his Una & The Lion design celebrated the first anniversary of her coronation and his Gothic Crown was released to mark her 10th year as monarch.

FG23GADGP1OZ

Masterpiece St George & the Dragon 2023 1oz Gold Proof Coin

ONLY 200 COINS WORLDWIDE

Our Masterpiece Collection continues with this rare opportunity to collect Willian Wyon’s stunning interpretation of St George & the Dragon.

The East India Company - Collections

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In 1844 Wyon was personally commissioned to design a medal for Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert. Albert was a progressive thinker, an evangelist for technological progress, a supporter of human rights causes such as emancipation and, perhaps most famously, a patron of the Arts, becoming President of the Society of Arts in 1843 before it gained its royal charter in 1847.
• First release of our King Charles III coins featuring the official effigy by Glyn Davies
• A rare opportunity to own William Wyon’s final Masterpiece
• Strictly limited edition of just 200 coins worldwide
• One ounce of gleaming 999.9 fine gold
• Struck to our highest Proof quality finish
• Bespoke presentation case and storytelling booklet

Product Detail

In 1844 Wyon was personally commissioned to design a medal for Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert. Albert was a progressive thinker, an evangelist for technological progress, a supporter of human rights causes such as emancipation and, perhaps most famously, a patron of the Arts, becoming President of the Society of Arts in 1843 before it gained its royal charter in 1847.
• First release of our King Charles III coins featuring the official effigy by Glyn Davies
• A rare opportunity to own William Wyon’s final Masterpiece
• Strictly limited edition of just 200 coins worldwide
• One ounce of gleaming 999.9 fine gold
• Struck to our highest Proof quality finish
• Bespoke presentation case and storytelling booklet

Specification

  • Alloy

    Fine Gold 0.999Au

  • Denomination

    £5

  • Weight

    1oz

  • Authority

    St Helena

  • Diameter

    32mm

  • Edge

    Milled

  • Issue limit

    200

  • Total Mintage

    200

Stories

Wyon's St George and the Dragon

During the 1840s the Society of Arts held popular annual exhibitions that showcased British ingenuity. Henry Cole, a Society member, came up with the idea of a ‘Great Exhibition’ which would celebrate such brilliance from across the globe.

Prince Albert became President of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, calming concerns from Parliament with his belief that the event would place British creativity and engineering on the world stage.
The Great Exhibition proved to be a spectacular success and, in tribute to his achievements and as “a token of remembrance of our long communion in this work”, Prince Albert presented Henry Cole with the special medal he had personally commissioned from William Wyon.

Wyon’s interpretation of St George & the Dragon, an iconic image that has become synonymous with his early rival, Benedetto Pistrucci, is full of energy as St George slays the mighty dragon beneath his rearing steed, believed to have been modelled upon Prince Albert’s favourite horse, ‘Imaun’.

Wyon’s design is full of energy as St George, the patron saint of England, slays the mighty dragon beneath his rearing steed, believed to have been modelled upon Prince Albert’s favourite horse, ‘Imaun’, while his cloak billows behind him.

Our first Masterpiece coin collection featuring the official portrait of His Majesty King Charles III, features for the very first time this iconic rendition of the classic tale of the Patron Saint of England originally crafted by the legendary William Wyon.

  • FAQ

    What is the difference between maximum mintage and issue limit?
    Maximum mintage is the total number of individuals coins which will be struck, this includes coins presented is sets. The Issue limit refers to the number of coins which will be sold in the specific presentation.

    What if the maximum mintage and issue limit is the same?
    This means the coin will only be available in the presentation shown and will not be issued in any other way.

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    UK Standard Delivery: £9.95
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