The sovereign is a gold coin of the United Kingdom with a nominal value of one pound sterling, so a half sovereign is denominated as having £0.50 (fifty pence) in face value. Struck from 1817 until the present time, the sovereign was originally a circulating coin (see pre-decimal Sovereign) accepted in Britain and elsewhere in the world; it is now a bullion coin not intended for circulation, the intrinsic value of which is much higher than its face value.
In most recent years, it has borne on the reverse Benedetto Pistrucci's design of Saint George and the Dragon, created in 1817.
The Royal Mint issues several denominations of the Sovereign: Five Sovereigns (Quintuple Sovereign, five pounds gold), Double Sovereign, Full Sovereign, Half Sovereign and Quarter Sovereign; the half sovereign is a continuation of the pre-decimal half sovereign, and has been issued as a decimal coin since 1980.
The designs of all denominations are identical, as - according to tradition - this type of coin has never had its value and denomination spelled out anywhere on the coin. The various denominations are only distinguished by size and weight, these being exactly in proportion to their face value. Since 1817, the composition has always been 22 carat (91.67%) gold.
These coins were issued as "bullion" (Brilliant Uncirculated grade) only. The proof coins issued the same year had James Butler's portrait of the Queen. | 
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