Information about effigy: Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom, Hanoverian

Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom, Hanoverian

The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom, or the Royal Arms for short, is the official coat of arms of the British monarch and are used by the monarch in his/her official capacity. Variants of the Royal Arms are used by other members of the British royal family, by the British Government in connection with the administration and government of the country, and some courts and legislatures in a number of Commonwealth realms. In Scotland, there exists a separate version of the Royal Arms, a variant of which is used by the Scotland Office and the Judiciary.

In the standard variant used outside of Scotland, the shield is quartered, depicting in the first and fourth quarters the three passant guardant lions of England; in the second, the rampant lion and double tressure flory-counterflory of Scotland; and in the third, a harp for Ireland. The crest is a statant guardant lion wearing the St Edward's Crown, himself on another representation of that crown. The dexter supporter is a likewise crowned English lion; the sinister, a Scottish unicorn. According to legend a free unicorn was considered a very dangerous beast; therefore the heraldic unicorn is chained, as were both supporting unicorns in the royal coat of arms of Scotland.

In the greenery below, a thistle, Tudor rose and shamrock are depicted, representing Scotland, England and Ireland respectively. This armorial achievement comprises the motto, in French, of English monarchs, Dieu et mon Droit (God and my Right), which has descended to the present royal family as well as the Garter circlet which surrounds the shield, inscribed with the Order's motto, in French, Honi soit qui mal y pense (Shame on him who thinks evil).

Being the Coat of Arms of the monarch - and not of the country - resulted in the strange wrinkle that the symbol, displayed on much British coinage, included symbols of another country. Specifically, during the reign of the Hanoverian dynasty, it featured an escutcheon (inclusion) at its centre of the arms of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Electorate of Hanover), of which the kings from George I to William IV were monarchs, with their respective German names - e.g. Elector Georg III. Wilhelm Friedrich. In 1816, Hanover was elevated to a kingdom, so the Elector's bonnet which was capping the symbol was replaced with the Crown of Charlemagne - reflecting the King's role as Arch-Treasurer of the Holy Roman Empire.

This situation lasted until 1837, when Queen Victoria inherited the throne of the United Kingdom but not that of Hanover - which could only be passed to a male successor, so that the personal union between the two countries was broken.

Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom, Hanoverian - showing 45 of 45 coins
NameMintageLegend
Halfcrown 1816 unknown GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA 1816
Shilling 1816 unknown GEOR: III D: G: BRITT: REX F: D: 1816
Sixpence 1816 unknown GEOR: III D: G: BRITT: REX F: D: 1816
Halfcrown 1817 Large Head 8,092,656 GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA 1817
Shilling 1817 23,031,360 GEOR: III D: G: BRITT: REX F: D: 1817
Sixpence 1817 10,921,680 GEOR: III D: G: BRITT: REX F: D: 1817
Halfcrown 1817 Small Head 8,092,656 GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA 1817
Halfcrown 1818 2,905,056 GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA 1818
Sixpence 1818 4,284,720 GEOR: III D: G: BRITT: REX F: D: 1818
Shilling 1818 1,342,440 GEOR: III D: G: BRITT: REX F: D: 1818
Shilling 1819 7,595,280 GEOR: III D: G: BRITT: REX F: D: 1819
Sixpence 1819 4,712,400 GEOR: III D: G: BRITT: REX F: D: 1819
Halfcrown 1819 4,790,016 GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA 1819
Halfcrown 1820 King George III 2,396,592 GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA 1820
Sixpence 1820 1,488,960 GEOR: III D: G: BRITT: REX F: D: 1820
Halfcrown 1820 King George IV 2,396,592 GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Shilling 1820 King George IV unknown GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Shilling 1820 King George III 7,975,440 GEOR: III D: G: BRITT: REX F: D: 1820
Sixpence 1821 863,280 GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Halfcrown 1821 1,435,104 GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Shilling 1821 2,463,000 GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Halfcrown 1823 First Issue 2,003,760 GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Halfcrown 1823 Second Issue 2,003,760 GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Shilling 1823 693,000 GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Halfcrown 1824 Second Issue 465,696 GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Halfcrown 1824 Third Issue (Proof only) unknown GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA · 1824 ·
Sixpence 1824 633,600 GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Shilling 1824 4,158,000 GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Sixpence 1825 483,120 GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Shilling 1825 Second Issue 2,459,000 GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Halfcrown 1825 2,258,784 GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA · 1825 ·
Halfcrown 1826 2,189,088 GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA · 1826 ·
Sixpence 1826 Second Reverse 689,040 GEORGIUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Halfcrown 1828 49,890 GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA · 1828 ·
Halfcrown 1829 508,464 GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA · 1829 ·
Halfcrown 1831 (Proof only) unknown GULIELMUS IIII D:G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Halfcrown 1834 993,168 GULIELMUS IIII D:G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Halfcrown 1835 281,952 GULIELMUS IIII D:G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Halfcrown 1836 1,588,752 GULIELMUS IIII D:G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Halfcrown 1837 150,526 GULIELMUS IIII D:G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Half Sovereign 2025 Shield unknown CHARLES III · DEI · GRA · REX · FID · DEF · 2025 ·
Double Sovereign 2025 Shield unknown CHARLES III · DEI · GRA · REX · FID · DEF · 2025 ·
Sovereign 2025 Shield unknown CHARLES III · DEI · GRA · REX · FID · DEF · 2025 ·
Five Sovereigns 2025 Shield unknown CHARLES III · DEI · GRA · REX · FID · DEF · 2025 ·
Quarter Sovereign 2025 Shield unknown CHARLES III · DEI · GRA · REX · FID · DEF · 2025 ·
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Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom, Hanoverian: Details
Year1801
CountryUnited Kingdom
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