Henry VIII Gold Angel 2005 Proof Sovereign Set 200th Anniversary Proof issue of the Pistrucci design (2017 Sovereign)
1937 Proof Sovereign Can't seem to find any more variations of the theme (in my collection) at the moment
I think you did quite well indeed/ thanks for posting your beauties I would guess, if you where ever feeling down, best medicine to get in better mood, look at your magnificent collection. John
Thanks John. Sometimes these items of beauty do provide an adrenaline boost I've been toying with the idea of reducing my collection to 100-150 select coins but keep changing my mind about which ones I could bear to sell. The worst is deciding on ancients because with moderns you could find a similar or even better example some day but ancients are all so unique
Wowza. All lovely, but that one in particular is amazing. I wonder - why did the Royal Mint modify the spear design & switch to a sword in Saint George's hand?
And that too a Roman style sword TBH a spear makes more sense as you can hurl it at the offending dragon.....with a sword one has to engage in close combat and risk getting roasted. Most of the older designs had a spear. In the case of Pistrucci, a broken one indicating a fierce contest
I would say your toast with a sword/ spear/ longbow/ crossbow/ battle axe/ halberd/ pike/ mace vs a Dragon.
I'd like my chances with a Scorpion (or a modern anti-tank rocket launcher) a little better... That said, it's my understanding that the "dragon" in the story is a metaphor for a monstrous person. Here's a quick recap of the story: In the late 3rd century, St. George was traveling home through the middle east (generally in the area of Syria or Libya) when he came across a fair princess who was tied up beside a lake. When he untied her, she begged him to leave her where he had found her, for she was to be sacrificed to appease a dragon. If unfed, the dragon would go on a frenzy and ravage her homeland. Instead, St. George waited for the dragon to come, and attacked it. He not only slayed the monster, but saved the princess and charmed her father enough that he offered the hand of the princess in marriage as a prize. Yet, George could not stay, for he had an appointment with grisly fate to keep in Italy. So, applying a bit of deductive reasoning, and assuming that the story had some basis in fact, I'm guessing that Saint George was probably a Roman or Roman auxiliary passing through the area after completing his term of service. And the "dragon" was a local chief or warlord pushing unwanted affections on a ruler's daughter. Either our hero killed him or he otherwise outmaneuvered the warlord to win the hand of the princess (& his departure was retconned because St. G wasn't allowed to have a happily ever after & still earn his sainthood). 900+ years later, poorly educated English crusaders pass through the area and discover a bunch of Eastern Orthodox saints for the first time. Local legends & religious tales get translated & passed around the campfires with embellishments each step of the way. In the process stories about one Roman equestrian are confused with another (possibly they both had similar names?). Boom, St George is the guy who defeated the dragon. Clerics traveling with these soldiers see a chance to raise morale, and say that the spirit of St. George is fighting alongside them, victories ensue, and pretty quickly Saint George is the patron state of an island on the outer edge of the Roman world which he never visited and may not have ever even heard of.
Before there were any Counts of Mansfeld, a knight by the name of George lived in Mansfeld Castle. A lindorm (a wicked serpent-like creature in Scandinavian folklore, here a dragon) lived on a hill outside the city (in the direction of Eisleben), and even today this hill is called Lindberg. To save their own lives, the inhabitants had to give a maiden to the lindorm every day as a tribute. Soon there were no more virgins to be found in the little city, and the lindorm demanded the knight's daughter. The following morning the knight himself challenged the dragon and slew him, freeing the city. Henceforth he was called Saint George, instead of George. As a memorial the image of him killing the dragon was carved in stone above the Mansfeld church entrance, and can be seen even today (and on Mansfeld coins). SEE Saint George Legends from Northern Europe on the internet. Fun.
And now has the situation changed at Mansfeld vis-a-vis the virgin maidens? All safe now!! Reminds me of the joke which goes: Did you know that on the Canary Islands there is not a single canary? And on the Virgin Isles? Same thing . . . . Not one canary there either!! Be happy and stay safe guys
The counts of Mansfeld owned extensive copper and silver mines and their coinage is very plentiful, many featuring similar portrayals of St. George and the dragon. According to Wikipedia, Hans Luder, Martin Luther's father and a Mansfeld citizen from 1484, was employed as a master smelter. The last mines were closed in 1969. I do not have an update on the virgin situation. Here are 2 more Mansfeld Talers. In the second one St. George is brandishing a sword rather than a lance which would make his task more difficult. MANSFELD-Vorderort-FRIEDEBURG Joint Issue of Peter Ernst I, Johann Albrecht, Bruno II, Hoyer Christoph & Johann Taler 1585 MANSFELD-Eigentliche-Hinterort Friedrich Christian Taler 1610
A number of Italian states also featured St. George on their coins. Here are 3 examples. PAPAL STATES - FERRARA Pope Paul V Scudo 1619 DESANA Giovanni Bartolomeo Tizzone Cornuto n.d.(1525-33) This St. George is on his way to or on his way back from killing the dragon. Alternatively, the legend about him in Desana is quite different, with no dragon involved. U URB
Sorry, slight technical problem. Here's the third example from Italy, a very small coin URBINO Francesco Maria II della Rovere Armellino n.d.(1574-1624)
There's a 1900 20 Peseta trial piece from Catalon that also has the St. George design, and which is quite beautiful. Heritage has one on auction right now, but it has rapidly moved beyond my means. There may still be a few hours left if you want to drive the price up even further:
Rather than posting photos of any of the various sovereigns and half-sovereigns I still have, see this post of mine with photos of a bronze Edward VII 1902 coronation model half-farthing token, with St. George (and his horse) and the Dragon on the reverse. It's 15 mm. and weighs 1.5 grams. https://www.cointalk.com/threads/smol-greek-horsey-coin.358529/#post-4364330