William the Conqueror
Gold Sovereign
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The year 1066, a date engraved on the minds of generations of schoolchildren, along with the name of
William the Conqueror, heralds the beginning of Norman Britain. A portrait of the famous Norman King
now graces the reverse of the first gold sovereign ever to be issued by the island of Jersey. The
splendid portrait also evokes memories of William's remarkable achievements, and in particular the beginning of
construction of the Tower of London. And it was in fact within the surroundings of this formidable fortress
that the first English gold sovereigns were struck 500 years ago in the reign of Henry VII. But perhaps
William's strength of purpose - and his great legacy - is most evident in the Domesday Book, that remarkable
chronicle of Norman England.
A portrait of William the Conqueror, modeled by Robert Elderton, has been chosen to honour a proud Norman heritage
on this the first sovereign to be issued by Jersey.
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