1996 Gulf War Behind Enemy Lines Gold Sovereign Medal Set
One fascinating use of gold coinage in the modern era was for an ‘Escape and Evasion’ purpose, which this pre-owned gold Sovereign was marked for. During the 1991 Gulf War, Sovereigns were given to RAF aircrew and SAS operatives in case they were ever captured behind enemy lines so they could bargain their way out of captivity. The Ministry of Defence purchased 60,000 Sovereigns at £60 each from the Bank of England so they could issue the coins to the RAF and SAS, giving troops 20 pieces each taped to their clothing. This initiative during Operation Granby wasn’t new thinking: Sovereigns had been possessed by certain British military personnel in the Second World War for escape and evasion purposes as well. Just over 16,000 of these 22 carat Sovereigns were returned to the MoD, and instead of selling them back to the Bank of England, the business-savvy MoD decided to sell the surplus coins to the public as collector’s pieces. The Sovereign in this limited edition set is a standard bullion Sovereign which could be from any year of issue, but nearly all of them will have the classic Saint George and the Dragon design on the reverse. First seen on Sovereigns in 1817, it was the brainchild of the Italian sculptor, Benedetto Pistrucci and measures 22.05 millimetres in diameter. The obverse will likely feature a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, but again this could vary depending on the coin in the set. Alongside this 7.98 gram Sovereign are two replica British Military medals, one the Gulf medal and the other the Kuwait Liberation medal. Your Sovereign and replica medals are issued in the original presentation box with certificate of authenticity, signed by General Sir Peter de la Billiere. System.Threading.Tasks.Task`1[System.String] System.Threading.Tasks.Task`1[System.String]