St George and the Dragon: How the Man of Legend Became a Patron Saint
Who Was St George?
You may have heard of St George and the Dragon, but are you familiar with the history behind the man and the mythical beast? St. George is believed to have been born in 3rd Century AD in Cappadocia, which is modern day Turkey. He was an officer in the Roman army who travelled to Libya where he came across a village terrorised by a dragon. The villagers had been offering up a daily sacrifice of a sheep in order to appease the dragon, however when they ran out of livestock, human sacrifices in the form of their sons and daughters had to be made. At the time when St George arrived, the King’s daughter was due to be sacrificed. Horrified upon learning of this St. George battled the dragon, eventually slaying it with his sword via a weak spot under the arm. His victory prompted a celebratory feast which became an annual celebration now known as St. George’s Day. St. George lived until the early 4th Century where during the persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian, he refused to make a sacrifice in honour of the pagan Gods, thus he died as a martyr for his Christian faith.
The Patron Saint of England
Perhaps surprisingly, St. George was not born in England and in fact, he reputedly never set foot upon English soil. He became popular among English Kings, who heard tale of his exploits and admired his bravery and conviction in his faith. It was King Edward III who chose St. George as patron of Order of the Garter in 1348. During the middle ages, English people would call on St. George for protection, such as during the Plague and the 100 Years War. According to historian, Ian Mortimer, it is not necessary for a patron saint to be indigenous, it is more important that they embody the values and characteristics a country wishes to project to the rest of the world. In Mortimer’s opinion St. George exemplifies the courage to face adversity in defence of the innocent. Nowadays, England celebrates St. George’s Day on the 23rd April, which is generally accepted as the date of his death, although the day has not been a national holiday since the union of England and Scotland in the 18th Century.
Symbolism and Sovereign Coins
The St. George Cross is a red cross on a white background, which became a representation of England under the rule of Henry VIII. Throughout history, dragons have often been used to symbolise the devil at work in Christian folklore. This would seem to further cement St. George’s status as a force of good overcoming evil. Today, the image of St. George and the Dragon can be found on The George Cross, memorials built to honour those killed during World War One, and of course, on sovereign coins since 1817. Benedetto Pistrucci, the Italian gem engraver was responsible for the design of St. George and the Dragon for sovereign coins. He rejected the traditional medieval interpretations of St. George which showed him adorned in heavy chainmail, instead preferring a bare, strong and powerful Greek interpretation. Pistrucci’s design is widely regarded as the quintessential depiction of the saint. Gold sovereign coins weigh 7.98g, have a fineness of 916.7 and pure metal content of 7.32g; they are available in fractional denominations, and minted in 22 carat gold. Furthermore, as they are exempt from capital gains tax they are a hugely popular choice amongst UK investors, and are seen as one of the most trusted bullion coins in existence.
Discover our full range of gold sovereign coins here featuring Benedetto Pistrucci’s iconic design of St. George and the Dragon.
