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.

Our Best Value Elizabeth II Young Head gold Sovereigns. Sometimes referred to as the Gillick Sovereigns, these coins are great for investors and collectors looking for coins from the start of Her Majesty's historic reign.

This Gold Sovereign features the first portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Often referred to as the 'Young Head' or 'pre-decimal' portrait, these Gold Sovereigns are dated from 1957 to 1968 (with the exception of 1960/61).

The coin features St. George riding a horse and slaying a dragon on the obverse (front) and the young Elizabeth on the reverse. In this portrait the Queen is wearing the Laureate crown, also known as a laurel wreath. While her portrait was officially used from 1953 onwards, gold sovereigns began using this First Portrait of Elizabeth in 1957, with those coins having a finer milled edge than sovereigns produced from 1958 onwards.

The writing inside the edge says DEI GRATIA REGINA which is the short form Latin for 'By the Grace of God, Queen'. The F D ending stands for 'Fidei defensor', also Latin, which means 'Defender of the Faith' and reflects Queen Elizabeth's position as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

Please note: This coin is NOT a specific year version. We have deliberately edited the pictured coin reverse to show no date for this reason. You will receive a Sovereign chosen by our vault team, based on quality and quantity.