Collecting coins and bank notes is a hobby I enjoy doing and one of the reasons is that coins and notes have many historical elements that depict the people and society they were used in. Below are pictures of one of my favourite coins, the gold sovereign, which has been used in Great Britain since 1603 as well as other commonwealth countries like Australia, Canada, India, and South Africa.
On the front of the coin is a depiction of Saint George and the Dragon with Saint George slaying the Dragon on his horse. Saint George and the Dragon is a story that has its origins from the 7th century though the popular depiction dates from 1260 and is the story of a Dragon in modern day Libya who lived by a lake who poisoned the countryside. To prevent the poisoning of a nearby city the people offered the Dragon two sheep daily, then a man and a sheep, and finally their youth and children chosen by lottery. One day through the lottery, the king's daughter was selected, and even though the King objected the people sent the daughter to the lake to be fed to the Dragon.
Saint George happened to by traveling by the lake when he saw the princess who tried to send him away. Saint George refused and when the Dragon emerged from the lake he charged the Dragon and stabbed it with his lance. This is the image depicted on the gold sovereign, the scene of Saint George on top of the Dragon about to wound the evil beast. During the fight Saint George asks the princess for her girdle and when he gets it he wraps it around the Dragon's neck. Once done the Dragon became tamed and the princess was able to control it on a leash. With the Dragon under their control Saint George and the Princess went to the city and Saint George promised that if they consented to becoming Christians that he would slay the Dragon. 15,000 men and the King converted to Christianity and with that Saint George beheaded the Dragon and at that spot the King built the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and there resides a spring and altar where all disease can be cured.
On the back of this gold sovereign is Queen Victoria, the monarch who had the longest reign of all British monarchs. This coin is dated from 1900 and has 0.2354 troy ounces of gold in it. As a result its gold value is around $350 US and this coin's value is around $400-$500 US I believe.
