Elizabeth II, Great Britain Half Sovereign
Gold coin of 1982
Obverse: Crowned head of Queen Elizabeth II. right.
Legend: ELIZABETH . II . DEI . GRA REGINA . F : D :
Reverse: St. George, wearing Attic helmet, right on horse, holding sword in preparation to dispatch prostrate and wounded Dragon below.
Comment: Broken shaft of lance to left on ground, engraver´s initials (B.P.) below ground to right.
References: KM-922.
Denomination: Half Sovereign
Mint Place: Royal Mint London
Material: Gold (.917) .1176 Oz. ASW
Diameter: 19 mm, Weight: 4gm
Benedetto Pistrucci (May 29, 1783 – September 16, 1855) was a talented engraver of gemstones, cameos, coins and medals. Born in Italy, he moved to London in 1815 and was employed at the Royal Mint as an engraver, where his most famous work is his portrayal of St. George & the Dragon used on British gold sovereigns and crowns first created during the Great Recoinage of 1816. He also engraved the dies for many other coins, medals, and medallions, including the Waterloo Medal, which took him over thirty years to complete. He refused to copy the work of any other artist or engraver, and insisted that all his work was his own original work. Because of his Italian origin, he was not officially recognised as the chief engraver at the Royal Mint, and there were rivalries with other engravers including the Wyon family.
