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.

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Masterpiece St George & the Dragon 2023 One Kilo Silver Proof Coin

ONLY 75 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
• A strictly limited edition of just 75 coins
• One Kilo of sparkling 999 fine silver
• Spectacular 100mm diameter perfectly showcases Wyon’s design
• Luxurious ‘Antique’ finish adds character and depth of detail
• 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
• A strictly limited edition of just 75 coins
• One Kilo of sparkling 999 fine silver
• Spectacular 100mm diameter perfectly showcases Wyon’s design
• Luxurious ‘Antique’ finish adds character and depth of detail
• Bespoke presentation case and storytelling booklet

Specification

  • Alloy

    Fine Silver 0.999Ag

  • Denomination

    £50

  • Weight

    1kg

  • Authority

    St Helena

  • Diameter

    100mm

  • Edge

    Milled

  • Issue limit

    75

  • Total Mintage

    75

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’.

This One Kilo coin has been specially prepared to create the appearance of an ‘antique’ item, first cleaned in an electrolysed bath then treated with chemicals to blacken the surfaces before being manually buffed on a polishing wheel.

The shadowed recesses help to accentuate fine design details, while the raised areas are highly polished to appear much brighter. Finally, the coin has been coated with a layer of lacquer to protect it from fingerprints or damage.

  • 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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  • Delivery & Returns

    UK Standard Delivery: £9.95
    See our delivery page for more information and overseas delivery.

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