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1/2 Sovereign - Elizabeth II Butler effigy
| Issuer | The Royal Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 2016 |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The classic St. George and the Dragon design by Benedetto Pistrucci, first introduced on the sovereign in 1817 and faithfully reproduced here. St. George, helmeted and in classical military dress with a billowing cloak, is depicted on horseback lunging to the right, driving his sword downward into the neck of a writhing dragon beneath the horse's hooves. The composition is set on a ground line with no surrounding legend; the date 2016 appears in the exergue, accompanied by Pistrucci's engraver's initials 'BP' to the right. |
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| Additional information |
The "Butler effigy" is a collector shorthand for the fifth definitive portrait of Elizabeth II, sculpted by Jody Clark and adopted by the Royal Mint in 2015 — not, as the nickname might suggest, the work of an engraver named Butler. The name derives from its resemblance to a silhouette associated with that surname in certain numismatic circles, and it has stuck despite being technically a misnomer.
The half sovereign was briefly discontinued after 2002 and did not reappear in circulation-quality strikes until 2009, making the series younger than most collectors assume.