For 2022 to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, the Royal Mint released a very Limited Issue Platinum Jubilee Piedfort Royal Arms Sovereign Gold Proof Coin struck in solid 22 Carat Gold
.
The Platinum Jubilee Piedfort Gold Proof Sovereign Coin is housed in a handsome walnut-veneer presentation case and is accompanied by an individually numbered Certificate of Authenticity signed by the Chief Executive of the Royal Mint.
Each of the 22 Carat Gold Proof Piedfort Sovereigns are double the weight of its counterpart and features on the reverse a special Royal Coat of Arms designed by Timothy Noad to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, together with the Fifth Portrait of Her Majesty, The Queen by Jody Clark on the obverse.
These legal tender coins have been struck to proof quality using specially prepared dies and highly polished blanks.
Piedforts are coins which have been especially struck on thicker than normal blanks.
As their name suggests they are closely associated with France, where from the twelfth century they were apparently issued by the Kings as presentation pieces.
In Britain the practise of striking Piedforts is later and less frequent, but medieval and Tudor examples are known.