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1/2 Sovereign - Edward VII
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1902-1910 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Sovereign |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed right-facing effigy of King Edward VII, modeled with naturalistic detail including a trimmed beard and mustache, as engraved by George William de Saulles whose initials 'De S.' appear truncated at the shoulder. The portrait is rendered in high relief against a flat field, with a toothed border encircling the coin. The surrounding circular legend reads EDWARDVS VII D:G:BRITT:OMN:REX F:D:IND:IMP:, affirming the King's titles as Defender of the Faith and Emperor of India. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse bears Benedetto Pistrucci's celebrated classical design depicting Saint George, armored and on horseback, slaying the dragon with a broken lance, the scene rendered in finely detailed relief. The horse and rider are shown in dynamic rightward motion, with the dragon prostrate beneath the horse's hooves. The date appears in the exergue below the ground line, accompanied by Pistrucci's initials 'B.P.' on later issues. The design is enclosed within a toothed border, and minor varieties exist across the series distinguishing die types catalogued as Sp#3974A and Sp#3974B. |
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| Additional information |
Edward VII's half sovereigns saw an immediate design change at the outset of his reign when the king refused to follow convention and face the opposite direction from his mother — he simply disliked the left-facing portrait that tradition demanded. De Saulles produced a right-facing effigy, breaking the alternating-direction custom that had held since the Restoration. The 1902 Matt Proof issue, struck for the coronation set, is a distinct collectible in its own right and should not be confused with the currency strikes of the same year.