Struck in 2016 to celebrate the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, this Gold Proof Sovereign features a portrait unlike any other in the series. Created by the acclaimed sculptor James Butler, the special effigy was used only on the Proof Sovereigns issued in this landmark year, making it an important and distinctive addition to modern royal coinage.

The obverse presents Her Majesty facing right, wearing a tiara, with James Butler’s initials, “JB”, positioned beneath the portrait. Commissioned to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday, the design offers a graceful tribute to a monarch whose image appeared on British coinage for seven decades. Unlike the standard 2016 Sovereign, which used Jody Clark’s portrait, this special Butler effigy was reserved for the Proof issue.

On the reverse, Benedetto Pistrucci’s celebrated St George and the dragon design appears in all its classical detail. First used on the Sovereign in 1817, the scene of the mounted St George overcoming the dragon remains one of the defining images of British coinage, linking this contemporary commemorative issue to more than two centuries of Sovereign tradition.

Struck in 22 carat gold to Proof standard, the coin weighs 7.98g and measures 22.05mm in diameter. The precision of the Proof finish enhances the contrast between its polished fields and finely frosted design, allowing the special royal portrait and Pistrucci reverse to be appreciated in exceptional clarity.

Only 9,675 Proof Sovereigns featuring the James Butler portrait were struck in 2016, including coins issued individually and within sets. With its one-year-only effigy, significant royal anniversary and classic reverse, this coin is a memorable tribute to the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II.