In 2003 the Royal Mint released a very Limited Issue solid 22 Carat Gold Proof Sovereign 3 Coin Set and includes the DNA £2 Two Pound Double Sovereign, Full Sovereign, Half Sovereign.
Whilst the Full Sovereign and Half Sovereign remain unchanged and continue to feature Pistrucci's St George and The Dragon, the 2003 £2 Two Pound Double Sovereign Coin carries a new design to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the discovery of the DNA structure by Francis Crick and James Watson.
The reverse design of the DNA £2 Two Pound Gold Proof Coin features the structure of the DNA molecule by John Mills.
The Sovereign, first issued as a Coin of the Realm in 1489 during the reign of Henry VII, was created to convey the majesty and dignity of the English Throne.
It continued to be struck by each of the Tudor monarchs but, shortly after the Stuart succession, James I brought the issue of the Sovereign to an end and it did not reappear for another 200 years until the Coinage was reformed during the reign of George III.
The revived Sovereign bore on its reverse a George and Dragon of classic beauty by Benedetto Pistrucci. Now justifiably acclaimed throughout the world as a masterpiece of numismatic art, this classic portrayal has graced the reverse of nearly every Sovereign issued since the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
Yet the modern Sovereign is not admired solely for its outstanding reverse design.
The obverse design depicts Ian Rank Broadley's portrait of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
These legal tender coins have been struck to the highest Proof Quality using specially selected blanks and highly polished dies.