The Royal Mint has announced that a special Strike on the Day Sovereign will be struck on August 26 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Prince Albert. This year not only marks 200 years since the birth of Queen Victoria but also that of a man who served as her greatest confidant, supporter, and inspiration – her husband, Prince Albert.
Born in the same year, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were steered towards one another by the Royal Family when they were just 17 years old. Prince Albert had a positive effect on Victoria, often helping to direct her energy and combining it with his own progressive vibrancy. Perhaps the strongest example of this came in his organizing of the Great Exhibition of 1851, an event that showcased the very best of British culture and industry, and it was for this event that the famous Crystal Palace was built.
The gold Sovereign is known and recognized as ‘the coin of the monarch’ and was minted throughout Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s lifetime. This particular Sovereign coin also bears a special privy mark, which is the dual cypher of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert – a fitting feature on the Sovereign to celebrate 200 years since his birth. The special privy mark is inspired by the couple’s entwined monograms, as a symbol of how they were inseparable in life and how their legacies stand together.
Nicola Howell, Director of Consumer at The Royal Mint said, “Having celebrated one of Britain’s greatest monarchs, Queen Victoria, it was only right to also pay tribute to her husband, Prince Albert with this special Strike on the Day Sovereign that features a dual cypher of Victoria and Albert.”
For further information on The Royal Mint’s 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Prince Albert 2019 Celebration Sovereign gold coin, visit www.royalmint.com/victoria.
