Half Sovereign 1817, Coin from United Kingdom

Half Sovereign 1817, Coin from United Kingdom (demonetised 1971)

Coin	Half Sovereign 1817

The half-sovereign was introduced in 1817 as part of a re-coinage at the end of the Napoleonic wars. From 1816 the silver coins no longer contained their intrinsic value of silver they are therefore termed a "token coinage". The gold content of the sovereign was however retained at full metal value. The half-sovereign was current at 10 shillings.

The half sovereign was designed by Pistrucci and shows, on the reverse side, a rather angular shield displaying the arms of England, Scotland and Ireland in each corner and the German dominions in the center.

The coins were struck in the new Royal Mint building on Tower Hill with steam powered presses supplied by Messrs Boulton, Watt and Rennie.

Mint	Royal Mint	Mint Mark	No mint mark	Total Mintage	2,080,197 (2.1 million) , Rarity: C (Common)
			Visit the Royal Mint web site for the latest coin releases (affiliate ad)

Obverse
Laureate head of King George III facing right; hair short; the tie has a loop and two hanging ends; the King's neck is bare. Below, the date 1817; around, commencing at the bottom of the coin, the legend GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA.

Obverse Inscription	GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA 1817

Reverse

Crowned angular shield quartered with the arms of England, Scotland, Ireland and France with inescutcheon the arms of the electorate of Brunswick and Luneburg surmounted by the Electoral crown. Beginning at the bootom of the coin, around the legend REX FID: DEF: BRITANNIARUM interrupted by the crown at the top.

Alignment: reverse die axis.

Reverse Inscription	BRITANNIARUM REX FID: DEF:

Edge	Milled	Edge Inscription	None

Notes

References to additional information:

[Book] Marsh, Michael A. The Gold Half Sovereign. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Coins, 1982. pp. 1-3.

Advertising

London Mint Office coins.

Half Sovereign 1817: Known varieties

Variety	Proof FDC
Mintage	Issued: unknown

Half Sovereign 1817: References to Information Used

Source	Edition	About	Link	Notes
Museums Victoria Collections	2016	Coin description	link
Remick, Catalogue of British Commonwealth Coins	1971	Mint
Whitman, Guidebook of English Coins, Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries	1962	Mintage
Remick, Catalogue of British Commonwealth Coins	1971	Mintage
Spink, Coins of England and the United Kingdom		Varieties		Proof FDC

All (100) coins of type: Half Sovereign (Pre-decimal)

Coin Name	Mintage	Effigy	Legend
Half Sovereign 1817	2,080,197	Portrait by Benedetto Pistrucci (Laureate Head)	GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA 1817
Half Sovereign 1818	1,030,286	Portrait by Benedetto Pistrucci (Laureate Head)	GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA 1818
Half Sovereign 1820	35,043	Portrait by Benedetto Pistrucci (Laureate Head)	GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA 1820
Half Sovereign 1821	231,288	King George IV - Laureate Head	GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Half Sovereign 1823	224,280	King George IV - Laureate Head	GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Half Sovereign 1824	591,538	King George IV - Laureate Head	GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Half Sovereign 1825	761,150	King George IV - Laureate Head	GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Half Sovereign 1826	344,830	Portrait by Jean Baptiste Merlen	GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA 1826
Half Sovereign 1827	492,014	Portrait by Jean Baptiste Merlen	GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA 1827
Half Sovereign 1828	1,244,745	Portrait by Jean Baptiste Merlen	GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA 1828
Half Sovereign 1831 (Proof only)	unknown	King William IV - Bare Head	GULIELMUS IIII D:G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Half Sovereign 1834	133,899	King William IV - Bare Head	GULIELMUS IIII D:G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Half Sovereign 1835	772,554	King William IV - Bare Head	GULIELMUS IIII D:G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Half Sovereign 1836	146,865	King William IV - Bare Head	GULIELMUS IIII D:G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Half Sovereign 1837	160,207	King William IV - Bare Head	GULIELMUS IIII D:G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Half Sovereign 1838	273,341	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1838
Half Sovereign 1839 (Proof only)	1,230	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1839
Half Sovereign 1841	508,835	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1841
Half Sovereign 1842	2,223,352	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1842
Half Sovereign 1843	1,251,762	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1843
Half Sovereign 1844	1,127,007	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1844
Half Sovereign 1845	887,526	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1845
Half Sovereign 1846	1,063,928	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1846
Half Sovereign 1847	982,636	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1847
Half Sovereign 1848	410,595	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1848
Half Sovereign 1849	845,112	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1849
Half Sovereign 1850	179,595	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1850
Half Sovereign 1851	773,573	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1851
Half Sovereign 1852	1,377,671	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1852
Half Sovereign 1853	2,708,796	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1853
Half Sovereign 1854	1,125,144	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1854
Half Sovereign 1855	2,391,362	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1855
Half Sovereign 1856	2,391,909	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1856
Half Sovereign 1857	728,223	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1857
Half Sovereign 1858	855,578	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1858
Half Sovereign 1859	2,203,813	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1859
Half Sovereign 1860	1,131,500	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1860
Half Sovereign 1861	1,130,867	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1861
Half Sovereign 1862	unknown	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1862
Half Sovereign 1863	1,371,574	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1863
Half Sovereign 1864	1,758,490	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1864
Half Sovereign 1865	1,834,750	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1865
Half Sovereign 1866	2,058,776	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1866
Half Sovereign 1867	992,795	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1867
Half Sovereign 1869	1,861,764	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1869
Half Sovereign 1870	1,159,544	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1870
Half Sovereign 1871	2,242,970	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1871
Half Sovereign 1872	3,604,627	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1872
Half Sovereign 1873	2,092,084	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1873
Half Sovereign 1874	1,884,432	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1874
Half Sovereign 1875	768,240	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1875
Half Sovereign 1876	2,785,187	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1876
Half Sovereign 1877	2,337,482	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1877
Half Sovereign 1878	2,081,941	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1878
Half Sovereign 1879	255,201	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1879
Half Sovereign 1880	1,089,049	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1880
Half Sovereign 1881	104,000	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1881
Half Sovereign 1882	158,000	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1882
Half Sovereign 1883	3,090,457	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1883
Half Sovereign 1884	1,181,756	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1884
Half Sovereign 1885	4,479,871	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1885
Half Sovereign 1886	120,000	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1886
Half Sovereign 1887 Young head	198,000	Queen Victoria - Young Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA 1887
Half Sovereign 1887 Jubilee head	1,070,567	Queen Victoria - Jubilee Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA
Half Sovereign 1888 (Proof only)	unknown	Queen Victoria - Jubilee Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA
Half Sovereign 1889	64,000	Queen Victoria - Jubilee Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA
Half Sovereign 1890	2,266,023	Queen Victoria - Jubilee Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA
Half Sovereign 1891	1,233,286	Queen Victoria - Jubilee Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA
Half Sovereign 1892	13,680,486	Queen Victoria - Jubilee Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA
Half Sovereign 1893 Shield	4,536,649	Queen Victoria - Jubilee Head	VICTORIA DEI GRATIA
Half Sovereign 1893 St George	4,677,398	Queen Victoria - Veiled Head	VICTORIA · DEI · GRA · BRITT · REGINA · FID · DEF · IND · IMP ·
Half Sovereign 1894	3,794,591	Queen Victoria - Veiled Head	VICTORIA · DEI · GRA · BRITT · REGINA · FID · DEF · IND · IMP ·
Half Sovereign 1895	2,869,183	Queen Victoria - Veiled Head	VICTORIA · DEI · GRA · BRITT · REGINA · FID · DEF · IND · IMP ·
Half Sovereign 1896	3,165,551	Queen Victoria - Veiled Head	VICTORIA · DEI · GRA · BRITT · REGINA · FID · DEF · IND · IMP ·
Half Sovereign 1897	3,798,156	Queen Victoria - Veiled Head	VICTORIA · DEI · GRA · BRITT · REGINA · FID · DEF · IND · IMP ·
Half Sovereign 1898	2,878,527	Queen Victoria - Veiled Head	VICTORIA · DEI · GRA · BRITT · REGINA · FID · DEF · IND · IMP ·
Half Sovereign 1899	3,459,103	Queen Victoria - Veiled Head	VICTORIA · DEI · GRA · BRITT · REGINA · FID · DEF · IND · IMP ·
Half Sovereign 1900	4,799,668	Queen Victoria - Veiled Head	VICTORIA · DEI · GRA · BRITT · REGINA · FID · DEF · IND · IMP ·
Half Sovereign 1901	2,037,664	Queen Victoria - Veiled Head	VICTORIA · DEI · GRA · BRITT · REGINA · FID · DEF · IND · IMP ·
Half Sovereign 1902	4,343,580	King Edward VII - Bare Head	EDWARDVS VII D: G: BRITT: OMN: REX F: D: IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1903	2,753,057	King Edward VII - Bare Head	EDWARDVS VII D: G: BRITT: OMN: REX F: D: IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1904	1,777,470	King Edward VII - Bare Head	EDWARDVS VII D: G: BRITT: OMN: REX F: D: IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1905	3,023,993	King Edward VII - Bare Head	EDWARDVS VII D: G: BRITT: OMN: REX F: D: IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1906	4,635,482	King Edward VII - Bare Head	EDWARDVS VII D: G: BRITT: OMN: REX F: D: IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1907	4,233,421	King Edward VII - Bare Head	EDWARDVS VII D: G: BRITT: OMN: REX F: D: IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1908	4,964,622	King Edward VII - Bare Head	EDWARDVS VII D: G: BRITT: OMN: REX F: D: IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1909	4,240,831	King Edward VII - Bare Head	EDWARDVS VII D: G: BRITT: OMN: REX F: D: IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1910	5,497,881	King Edward VII - Bare Head	EDWARDVS VII D: G: BRITT: OMN: REX F: D: IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1911	6,490,243	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1912	6,502,316	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1913	6,094,290	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1914	7,573,124	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1915	3,196,630	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1916	448,000	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1918	unknown	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1923 (Proof only)	655	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1925	946,615	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1926	806,540	King George V - Bare Head	GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP:
Half Sovereign 1937 (Proof only)	5,501	King George VI - Bare Head	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Half Sovereign 1953 (not released)	unknown	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait	ELIZABETH II DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REGINA F: D: +

Advertising

The Definitive Guide to Australian Silver Coins

My Collection

Please sign up and/or log in.

You will then be able to manage your collection and record whether you have or want this coin.

Half Sovereign 1817: Details

Country	United Kingdom
Currency	Pound Sterling (pre-decimal)
Coin Type	Half Sovereign (Pre-decimal, Shield)
Issued	1817
Monarch	King George III
Effigy	Portrait by Benedetto Pistrucci (Laureate Head)
Face Value	1/2 (x Pound)
Total Mintage	2,080,197 (2.1 million), Rarity: C (Common)
Current	No; demonetised 1971
Material	0.9167 Gold
Designer	Benedetto Pistrucci
Technology	Milled (machine-made)
Shape	Round
Size	19.3000 mm
Thickness	0.9900 mm
Mass	3.9940 g
OCC ID	GRNA-ZOGW-CXAM-OXJL

Search Similar Coins to Buy (Affiliate Ad)

Search for United Kingdom: Half Sovereign 1817 on eBay

Advertising

A Guide Book of United States Coins 2026

Share or Bookmark this Page

Half Sovereign 1817: Photos

Image	Details
	Coin - Half-Sovereign, George III, Great Britain, 1817 Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Source
	Coin - Half-Sovereign, George III, Great Britain, 1817 Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Source
	Great Britain 1817 1/2 sovereign Copyright: CoinFactsWiki / CC BY-SA Author: Stack's-Bowers Source
	Great Britain 1817 1/2 sovereign Copyright: CoinFactsWiki / CC BY-SA Author: Stack's-Bowers Source

Half Sovereign 1817: Catalogue Reference IDs

Source	Reference ID
Marsh, The Gold Half Sovereign	400
Friedberg, Gold Coins of the World	Great Britain 231
Krause, Standard Catalog of World Coins	Great Britain KM# 673
Spink, Coins of England and the United Kingdom	3786

Relevant Links

Tax Free Gold: Half Sovereigns For Sale: George III 1760 - 1820

Museums Victoria: Coin - Half-Sovereign, George III, Great Britain, 1817

American Numismatic Society: Gold 1/2 sovereign, Great Britain

Half Sovereign 1817, Coin from United Kingdom - detailed information