Gold Sovereign - Elizabeth II Young Head

First Portrait – Young Elizabeth:

Start Year: 1953 (Age 26 - 1 year after ascending to the throne)

End Year: 1970 (still used annually on Maundy Coins)

Sculptor: Mary Gillick

The 'Young Head Gold Sovereign features the first official coin portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. This edition was released pre-decimal changes to UK currency, and the sovereigns that use the First Portrait were released between 1957 and 1968.

The front (obverse) side of the coin features St. George riding a horse and slaying a dragon. The reverse side, like all UK coins since 1953, features Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen is wearing the laureate crown, a type of laurel wreath. The writing on the coin around the edges is latin, stating DEI GRATIA REGINA which is short form latin for 'By the Grace of God, Queen'. The letters F and D stand for 'Fidei defensor', which literally translates as 'Defender of the Faith' and symbolises the Queen's position at the top of the Church of England.

Officially the Queen's portrait was used from 1953 on coins, but gold sovereigns only began using the First Portrait in 1957. That coin also had a finer reeded edge than the sovereigns made in 1958 and beyond.

If you require a specific year coin please see our selection here.