Benedetto Pistrucci’s St George and the dragon design has been synonymous with The Sovereign for more than two centuries. However, there have been numerous occasions when the design has not appeared on the coin, such as the commemoration of notable anniversaries in British history.

As we mark 200 years since Jean Baptiste Merlen’s Royal Arms first graced our flagship coin, The Sovereign 2025 Collection marks one of these notable moments in the history of British coinage.

Before emigrating to the United Kingdom, Merlen was a medallist for the Paris Mint. His most famous work during this period was his 1804 design for the Napoleonic medal celebrating the ‘Proclamation and Coronation of Bonaparte as Emperor’, after which the Frenchman began building a reputation as a talented designer.

However, the Napoleonic Wars soon derailed any plans he had to stay in his native land and Merlen left France following Napoleon’s defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. On British shores, Merlen joined The Royal Mint in 1820. Despite his notable design experience in France, he had to contend with both Benedetto Pistrucci and William Wyon, two of The Royal Mint’s greatest talents.

In 1821, just one year after commencing his employment at The Royal Mint, Merlen was tasked with providing a numismatic coinage portrait of George IV. Based on an original work by renowned English sculptor Sir Francis Chantrey, Merlen’s subsequent engraving appeared on the 1823 Double-Sovereign, marking his Sovereign debut.

Now a proven commodity in the realm of coin design, Merlen was soon given the chance to design his own reverse design for The Sovereign. Featuring the Royal Arms surrounded by a wreath, the result was Merlen’s crowned shield design.

A simplistic design when compared to Pistrucci’s George and the dragon, Merlen’s design is well known within numismatic circles and holds the unique distinction of gracing the Sovereign during a key period in British history.

Throughout the era of commercial and colonial expansion, The Sovereign was of vital importance and it was Merlen’s Sovereign design that was carried all over the world. In the numismatic community, it is referred to as the ‘shield back’ Sovereign and holds its own significance away from Pistrucci’s St George and the dragon.

Even after Pistrucci’s work reappeared in 1871, branches of The Royal Mint continued to strike shield back Sovereigns as there was strong demand for the coins in India and Asia. The dragon has different connotations in Asian culture, which therefore meant a shield was preferred by those looking for Sovereigns in this part of the world.

Merlen retired from The Royal Mint in 1844 but his evolving Royal Arms design, whose variations appear on coins of William IV and Queen Victoria’s reigns, remained a recurring fixture of The Sovereign until 1887.

In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Merlen’s Royal Arms design, The Sovereign 2025 features the return of this iconic design. Revived, restored and remastered using The Royal Mint’s state-of-the-art technology, the 2025 edition of The Sovereign faithfully recaptures the charm of Merlen’s original work, whilst still maintaining the premium quality and high standards of a modern coin.

With heritage and history at the core of its design, Merlen’s design is a piece that encapsulates the coin on which it sits and a truly fitting design to grace The Sovereign 200 years after it first appeared.

Collect your 2025 edition of The Sovereign today and add Merlen’s classic design to your collection.

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