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THE 2017 SAPPHIRE JUBILEE CELEBRATION SOVEREIGN
THE 2017 SAPPHIRE JUBILEE CELEBRATION SOVEREIGN
THE SAPPHIRE JUBILEE OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II
THE SAPPHIRE JUBILEE OF HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II
On 6 February 2017, the anniversary of her accession to the throne in 1952, Queen Elizabeth II made history by becoming the first British monarch to reign 65 years on the throne.
However, as with all jubilees in her reign, the day is one with cause for both celebration and reflection for the Queen, as it also represents the anniversary of the death of her father, King George VI.
Throughout 1951 and into the early weeks of 1952, the King was in poor health, and was forced to miss a planned tour of the Commonwealth territories. Princess Elizabeth went in his place, with Prince Phillip by her side.
Princess Elizabeth arrives in Kenya, 2 February 1952
It was while on this tour, in their Kenyan home of Sagana Lodge, that news reached the royal party of the death of King George VI. Prince Phillip was the one charged with breaking the sad news to his wife, and in so doing confirm her immediate accession to the throne. The rest of the tour was cancelled, and the young lady who had left the UK as Princess Elizabeth, returned home as Queen.
So began the reign of Queen Elizabeth II - one defined by service and dedication, an embodiment of her declaration during her speech on her twenty-first birthday on 21 April 1947, broadcast from Cape Town, South Africa, that,
"... my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong."
THE 2017 SAPPHIRE JUBILEE "STRIKE ON THE DAY" CELEBRATION SOVEREIGN
THE 2017 SAPPHIRE JUBILEE "STRIKE ON THE DAY" CELEBRATION SOVEREIGN
To celebrate the Sapphire Jubilee, the Royal Mint issued a special celebration Sovereign struck on 6 February 2017, the anniversary of Her Majesty's accession to the throne.
The obverse of the coin bore the 5th Effigy of the Queen, which was the circulating coinage portrait at the time, while the reverse bore Benedetto Pistrucci’s classic depiction of St George and the Dragon (without the garter that accompanied the 200th Anniversary Sovereigns of 2017).
The coin was finished to Brilliant Uncirculated standard and the striking was authenticated by a hand-signed Certificate of Authenticity. The issue was limited to just 750 sets.
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