United Kingdom

Elizabeth II

1 Sovereign

英國

伊莉莎白二世

1索維林金幣

Item number: A1536

Year: AD 1957

Material: Gold

Size: 21.8 x 21.8 x 1.4 mm

Weight: 8.0 g

Manufactured by: Royal Mint

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2014

This is a 1 Sovereign gold coin, minted in AD 1957 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and circulated thereafter. The Sovereign was an old unit of currency in England, with the portrait on the obverse changing to reflect the ruler of the time. The mould for this gold coin was created by the Italian jewelry engraver Benedetto Pistrucci (AD 1783–1855), whose work is evident in the relief of St. George vs. the Dragon.

The obverse of the coin features a right-facing portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, who was 31 years old at the time. Surrounding the portrait is a Latin inscription, “+ELIZABETH·II·DEI·GRATIA·REGINA·F:D:,” which translates to “Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith.”

When Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in AD 1952, Britain was transitioning from its position as a global superpower, impacted by the aftermath of World War II and the worldwide decolonisation movement, to a more regional power. However, during her unprecedented 70-year reign, the United Kingdom underwent significant transformations, and Elizabeth II became a beloved figure and a symbol of the nation. On September 8, AD 2022, the Queen passed away at the age of 96. She was succeeded by her eldest son, Charles III, who assumed the throne at the age of 73.

The reverse of the coin features a relief depicting the Christian biblical story of Saint George slaying the dragon. In this tale, Saint George is a revered Christian soldier who one day encounters a village plagued by a dragon. The dragon continually demanded sacrifices from the villagers, and after all the livestock had been offered, the villagers were forced to use human beings as tribute.

One day, a princess volunteered to sacrifice herself to the dragon. As she wept before the dragon’s lair, she encountered Saint George passing through the area. The princess shared the tale of the dragon’s cruelty and urged Saint George to leave for his own safety. However, Saint George refused and instead successfully slew the dragon. The villagers, moved by Saint George’s righteous act, renounced their pagan beliefs and converted to Christianity.

The term “Sovereign” was historically used in the United Kingdom to refer to a gold coin with a value equivalent to one pound sterling. The creation of the Sovereign is closely linked to the passage of the Liverpool’s Act in AD 1816.

Between the outbreak of the French Revolution in AD 1792 and the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars in AD 1815, Britain incurred substantial military and economic expenditures in its competition with France for dominance in Europe. These costs extended beyond domestic spending, as Britain also financed its allies, including Austria, Prussia, and Russia. This immense financial burden led to a shortage crisis in the country’s existing silver standard currency.

To restore Britain’s economic strength, Parliament passed the Liverpool’s Act, which introduced the gold standard currency, including the Sovereign, and established new exchange rates between gold and silver to stabilise the economy.

Since AD 1817, when the Sovereign became a circulating currency in the United Kingdom, it spread further with the expansion of the British Empire, circulating in many countries and colonies around the world. It was not until the outbreak of World War I in AD 1914 that the Sovereign was replaced by newly issued banknotes in Britain. However, in the Middle East, influenced by British monetary practises, the Sovereign continued to be used as a denomination of currency until it was replaced in the 1950s.

物件編號: A1536

年代: 公元 1957 年

材質: 黃金

尺寸: 21.8 x 21.8 x 1.4 mm

重量: 8.0 g

製造地: 皇家鑄幣廠

來源: 大城郵幣社 2014

這是一枚英國女王伊莉莎白二世任內,於公元1957年鑄造和流通的1索維林金幣。索維林是英國舊時流通的貨幣單位,正面的人像會隨著時任統治者進行變動。這枚金幣的模具由義大利珠寶雕刻師貝內代托·皮斯特魯奇(公元1783至1855年)操刀,其得意之作為出現在這枚金幣上的聖喬治大戰惡龍的浮雕。

硬幣正面中央是時任英國女王伊莉莎白二世的右側肖像,彼時女王僅31歲,周圍環繞著拉丁銘文「+ELIZABETH·II·DEI·GRATIA·REGINA·F:D:」,意思是「蒙上帝恩典的伊莉莎白二世女王 信仰的捍衛者」。

伊莉莎白二世於公元1952年登基之際,其接手的英國是受到第二次世界大戰和全球去殖民浪潮,逐漸從全球霸主退居為區域強權的地位。然而在女王長達七十年的統治期間,英國也歷經前所未見的變遷,伊莉莎白二世也成為受到國人愛戴和英國的重要形象代表。公元2022年9月8日,女王以96歲的高齡駕崩,由時年73歲的長子查爾斯三世繼承王位。

硬幣背面是基督教經典故事的聖喬治大戰惡龍浮雕,在這個故事中,聖喬治是一名受到景仰的基督徒士兵,有一天經過一座苦於惡龍騷擾的村莊。這條惡龍不斷向村民索討祭品,當村莊的牲畜都獻祭出去後,村民只能被迫以活人作為貢品。有一天一位公主自願犧牲自己成為祭品,當公主在惡龍的巢穴前哭泣時遇到經過的聖喬治。公主向聖喬治傾訴惡龍的殘暴和勸他盡快離開,但是聖喬治選擇拒絕並成功斬殺惡龍。村民們為聖喬治的義舉感化,就此放棄異教和皈依基督信仰。

「索維林」是英國舊時對於金幣的稱呼,其價值相當於1英鎊,索維林的誕生和公元1816年英國通過的〈利物浦法案〉習習相關。公元1792年法國大革命爆發一直到公元1815年拿破崙戰爭的落幕,英國為了跟法國競爭歐洲的霸權地位付出龐大的軍事和經濟開銷,不僅是在國內還需要負擔奧地利、普魯士和俄羅斯等盟友的花費,使得英國過去的銀本位貨幣陷入短缺危機。為了重振英國的經濟實力,國會通過了〈利物浦法案〉推出索維林等金本位的貨幣和制定新的金銀兌換比例以穩定經濟。

自公元1817年,索維林成為英國境內的流通貨幣後,進一步隨著大英帝國的擴張,流通到世界上的許多國家和殖民地。直到公元1914年第一次世界大戰的爆發,索維林在英國本土才為新發行的紙幣所取代。然而在受到英國影響的中東地區,索維林作為一種貨幣的面額直到公元1950年代遭到替換為止。

類似/相同物件 請看:

美國 硬幣認證公司 NGC

https://www.ngccoin.com/price-guide/world/great-britain-sovereign-km-908-1957-1968-cuid-1131318-duid-1327511

英國 皇家鑄幣廠 Royal Mint

https://www.royalmint.com/stories/sovereign/queen-elizabeth-ii-sovereigns/

更多相關訊息請參考:

https://www.royal.uk/george-v

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elizabeth-II

https://www.chards.co.uk/guides/coinage-act-1816/278

https://www.britannica.com/money/coin/Gold-coinage

https://web.archive.org/web/20190904054221/http://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/coins/british-coinage/art-and-design/index.html

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