The half sovereign is a
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
gold coin
A gold coin is a coin that is made mostly or entirely of gold. Most gold coins minted since 1800 are 90–92% gold (22karat), while most of today's gold bullion coins are pure gold, such as the Britannia, Canadian Maple Leaf, and American Buf ...
with a nominal value of half of one
pound sterling
Sterling (abbreviation: stg; Other spelling styles, such as STG and Stg, are also seen. ISO code: GBP) is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories. The pound ( sign: £) is the main unit of sterling, and ...
. It is half the weight (and has half the gold content) of its counterpart 'full'
sovereign coin.
The half sovereign was first introduced in 1544 under
Henry VIII. After 1604, the issue of half sovereigns, along with sovereigns, was discontinued.
In 1817, following a major revision of
British coinage
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
, new versions of half sovereigns and sovereigns were introduced.
Production of British half sovereigns continued until 1926 and, apart from special issues for coronation years, was not restarted until 1980. It was also used extensively in Australia, until 1933.
Since the end of the
gold standard
A gold standard is a monetary system in which the standard economic unit of account is based on a fixed quantity of gold. The gold standard was the basis for the international monetary system from the 1870s to the early 1920s, and from the l ...
, it has been issued only in limited quantities as a
bullion or
collectors' coin, with a sale price and resale value far in excess of its nominal value, though it continues to be
legal tender
Legal tender is a form of money that courts of law are required to recognize as satisfactory payment for any monetary debt. Each jurisdiction determines what is legal tender, but essentially it is anything which when offered ("tendered") in ...
.
Modern half sovereigns, from 1817 onwards, have a diameter of 19.30 mm, a thickness of c. 0.99 mm, a weight of 3.99 g, are made of 22
carat (91
2⁄
3%)
crown gold
Crown gold is a 22 karat (kt) gold alloy used in the crown coin introduced in England in 1526 (by Henry VIII). In this alloy, the proportion of gold is 22 parts out of 24 (91.667% gold)—and is appreciably less prone to wear than the softer 23 k ...
alloy, and contain 0.1176
troy ounces (3.6575 g) of gold. The reverse side, featuring
St. George slaying a dragon was designed by
Benedetto Pistrucci, whose initials appear to the right of the date.
Background and authorisation
Henry VII revitalised
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
’s economy following a civil war and the
Black Death.
He introduced the
sovereign in 1489, which he valued at twenty
shillings
The shilling is a historical coin, and the name of a unit of modern currencies formerly used in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, other British Commonwealth countries and Ireland, where they were generally equivalent to 12 pence or ...
.
Before the new
denomination, the only gold coins in circulation were
angels
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles incl ...
and half angels.
Henry VII left a large treasury – the modern equivalent of about £375 million – to his successor
Henry VIII, however the inherited wealth was not sustained due to Henry VIII’s extravagant lifestyle and the war expenses needed to maintain a claim over
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
.
Before the
Reformation
The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...
,
minting
Minting is a village and civil parish in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. The village is situated south from the A158 road. The population (including Gautby) at the 2011 census was 286.
Minting Priory was located here.
Mi ...
was still carried out by monasteries. Due to a shortage of
bullion imported from overseas –
Cardinal Wolsey, Chancellor of Exchequer began
debasing coinage in 1526 in an attempt to align England’s currency with that of continental Europe. Henry VIII realised he was able to increase his revenue if he continued debasing coins – reducing their
fineness
The fineness of a precious metal object (coin, bar, jewelry, etc.) represents the weight of ''fine metal'' therein, in proportion to the total weight which includes alloying base metals and any impurities. Alloy metals are added to increase hardne ...
, and by introducing new denominations.
This decision earned him the nickname "Old Coppernose", describing the copper showing through parts of his portrait that were of low
relief
Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...
on his basest coinage after only a short time in circulation.
The era 1542–1551 is now known as
the Great Debasement.
![Henry VIII, second coinage, silver halfgroat OBVERSE](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Henry_VIII%2C_second_coinage%2C_silver_halfgroat_OBVERSE.jpg)
The coinage of Henry VIII can be divided into five classes. The half sovereign valued at ten shillings was introduced in the third alongside the quarter-angel.
The half sovereign continued to be used by Henry VIII’s successor
Edward VI
Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first E ...
. During the reign of
Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...
,
James I James I may refer to:
People
*James I of Aragon (1208–1276)
*James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327)
*James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu
*James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347)
*James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...
, and
Charles I Charles I may refer to:
Kings and emperors
* Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings
* Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily
* Charles I of ...
, ten shilling coins were issued in the denominations of
half pounds and half unites.
Sovereigns and half sovereigns were not to re-emerge until 1817.
George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
ascended in 1760, and by 1801 was the monarch of a
United Great Britain and Ireland.
Revolutionary war was breaking out, with 13 of the
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
colonies declaring themselves independent in retaliation to heavy taxation by Britain.
The Anglo-French war devastated the British economy, to which
the Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker, and still one of the bankers for the Government of ...
responded by issuing banknotes in place of gold coinage for the first time. There was also a surge in
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
eight reales stamped with the King’s image and the issuing of copper
tokens by British businesses.
William Wellesly Pole was appointed
Master of the Mint
Master of the Mint is a title within the Royal Mint given to the most senior person responsible for its operation. It was an important office in the governments of Scotland and England, and later Great Britain and then the United Kingdom, between ...
in 1812.
Due to the
Napoleonic wars
The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
, large amounts of gold had left Britain. Pole responded by suggesting new gold coinage of ten shilling, twenty shilling, forty shilling and five-pound pieces, which constituted the
Great Recoinage approved in 1816.
The modern sovereign and half sovereign featuring the famous design by
Benedetto Pistrucci of
St George slaying the dragon was proclaimed as currency in 1817, and minting commenced later that year.
Mintage of the denominations has continued since, with no alterations in weight and fineness.
Circulation years
1544–1547
Half Sovereigns were part of the third class of coinage introduced by
Henry VIII in 1544.
As well as an increase in the value of gold of 10% in 1526, the standard
fineness
The fineness of a precious metal object (coin, bar, jewelry, etc.) represents the weight of ''fine metal'' therein, in proportion to the total weight which includes alloying base metals and any impurities. Alloy metals are added to increase hardne ...
of coins was debased so that the sovereign valued at 22
s.6
d. weighed 192
grains
A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legumes ...
(12.4 grams) compared to 240 grains (15.6 grams) when Henry VIII began his reign.
The half sovereign which weighs 96 grains (6.2 grams), replaced the ryal valued at ten shillings.
The debasement of gold coins went from 23 7/8
carat fine to 23 carats, and then 22 carats and finally only 20 carats fineness (0.96 fine).
This was the first time gold had been minted below the standard of 23 carats of fineness.
The half sovereign of Henry VIII measures at 30 mm in diameter and weighs 100 or 19 grains (6.22 grams). In 1544–1547, three different half sovereigns were minted at the
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures.
Towers are specifi ...
,
Southwark and
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
mints
A mint or breath mint is a food item often consumed as an after-meal refreshment or before business and social engagements to improve breath odor. Mints are commonly believed to soothe the stomach given their association with natural byproducts ...
; therefore, each featured the
mint mark
A mint mark is a letter, symbol or an inscription on a coin indicating the mint where the coin was produced. It should not be confused with a mintmaster mark which is the mark of the mintmaster.
History
Mint marks were first developed to locate ...
s of their respective mints. Marsh describes the
obverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ...
of these half sovereigns: "…featuring the portrait of a crowned King Henry VIII seated in his chair of state holding his sceptre and orb, the
Tudor rose
The Tudor rose (sometimes called the Union rose) is the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the House of Tudor, which united the House of Lancaster and the House of York. The Tudor rose consists o ...
at his feet." The
reverse
Reverse or reversing may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Reverse'' (Eldritch album), 2001
* ''Reverse'' (2009 film), a Polish comedy-drama film
* ''Reverse'' (2019 film), an Iranian crime-drama film
* ''Reverse'' (Morandi album), 2005
* ''Reverse'' ...
features a crowned shield which is quartered, containing the arms of France and England held by a lion and dragon.
1547–1553
Edward VI
Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first E ...
succeeded his father at only nine years of age. Half sovereigns were struck at the Tower and Southwark mints at this time and the half sovereigns exclusively feature his youthful portrait. Aside from featuring the portrait of Edward VI, the addition of "EDWARD 6" to the legend of some coins and featuring different mint marks, half sovereigns of this time do not differ from previous issues.
![Half Sovereign Edward VI 1551 681778](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Half_Sovereign_Edward_VI_1551_681778.jpg)
From 1549–550 half sovereigns minted at the
Tower Mint, and
Durham House featured an uncrowned bust of Edward VI on the obverse. London, Southwark and Durham House mints struck half-length crowned busts of the king.
Edward VI wrote in his diary that he wished to rectify the debasement of coinage during the reign of his father, and in 1549 the fineness of the half sovereign was increased from 20 carat to 22 carat fineness. Coins of this issue have the Roman numeral "VI" instead of "6" after the King's name.
From 1550–1553, fineness of gold coins was increased to 23
carats. The Half sovereign featured a crowned King Edward VI in armour, holding a sceptre and sword on the obverse. The reverse features a crowned
shield of heraldic arms. The legend reads "SCVTVM FIDEI PROTEGET EVM" which is translated as "The shield of faith shall protect him", although, some half sovereigns have "TIMOR DOMINE FONS VITE" or "The fear of the Lord is the fountain of Life" from
Proverbs
A proverb (from la, proverbium) is a simple and insightful, traditional saying that expresses a perceived truth based on common sense or experience. Proverbs are often metaphorical and use formulaic language. A proverbial phrase or a proverbia ...
14:27, and also "LVCERNA PEDIBVS MEIS VERBVM TVVM" which means "Thy word is a lantern unto my feet" from
Pslam 119:105.
1603
The first coinage of
James I James I may refer to:
People
*James I of Aragon (1208–1276)
*James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327)
*James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu
*James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347)
*James I of Cyprus (1334–13 ...
commenced in 1603 and features a crowned bust on the obverse, and a crowned shield on the reverse and thistle mint mark.
The shield of arms featured on James I’s coinage features the lions of England and the
fleurs-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol.
The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...
of France in the first and fourth quarters, the second quarter features the
lion of Scotland and the third quarter the harp of Ireland.
The reverse legend reads “EXVRGAT DEVS DISSIPENTVR INIMICI” which translates as “Let God arise and let His enemies be scattered” from Psalms 68:1.
In 1604, James I reduced the weight of gold coinage, and renamed sovereigns and half sovereigns to unites and half unites.
Half sovereigns were to be replaced by James I's successor
Charles II by the
half guinea.
1816–1820
The reign of
George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
saw many changes in the numismatic landscape. Paper currency was used rather than gold for the first time, and the invention of steam power revolutionised coin manufacturing.
What are considered the first modern half sovereigns were introduced in 1817, as they are the first
milled half sovereigns, or as Marsh cites that Ruding describes them as: "
he coinswith a new invented graining on the edge of the piece", and also because there has been no change in the weight of 61.637 grains (3.994 grams) and 22 carat fineness since.
These coins were valued at 10 shillings and replaced the seven shilling piece or
quarter guinea.
The obverse of the half sovereign features the portrait of George III wearing a laurel wreath surrounded by the inscription “GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA”, which was designed by famous die cutter
Benedetto Pistrucci.
On the Reverse which was designed by William Wyon, there is a crowned shield bearing the Ensigns Armorial of the United Kingdom and the Hanoverian arms in the centre of the shield.
The reverse legend reads “BRITANNIARUM REX FID:DEF”. Coins were minted between 1817–1819, however, sovereigns of 1819 are extremely rare and no half sovereigns from this year have been recorded.
1820–1830
The first type of half sovereign minted during the reign of
George IV
George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...
features his portrait engraved by Pistrucci wearing a laurel wreath on the obverse and an ornately garnished crowned shield on the reverse which was designed by Johann Baptist Merlen.
These coins which were issued in 1821 were quickly withdrawn due to their similarity in appearance to the sixpence, meaning that the sixpence could be gilded and passed off as a half sovereign.
A second type was issued and differs in that the shield on the reverse is plain, whilst a third type features a bareheaded king.
Another type is similar to the third but has an extra tuft of hair in the portrait and a heavier border. Pistrucci’s bust design was replaced by an engraving by
William Wyon
William Wyon (Birmingham 1795 – 29 October 1851), was official chief engraver at the Royal Mint from 1828 until his death.
Biography
Wyon was born in Birmingham and, in 1809, was apprenticed to his father, Peter Wyon who was an engraver a ...
, as Pistrucci had upset George IV by refusing to copy the bust sculpture by
Sir Francis Chantrey
Sir Francis Leggatt Chantrey (7 April 1781 – 25 November 1841) was an English sculptor. He became the leading portrait sculptor in Regency era Britain, producing busts and statues of many notable figures of the time. Chantrey's most notable w ...
.
1830–1837
Half sovereigns were not issued as a currency piece during the reign of
William IV
William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded h ...
until 1834.
The small size half sovereign is 17.9mm in diameter and the obverse features a bare head bust of William IV, which was engraved by William Wyon from the bust of William IV by Sir Francis Chantrey.
There is a crowned shield and mantle on the reverse which was modelled and engraved by Jean Baptise Merlen.
These coins were struck with both plain and milled edges.
The large size half sovereign measures 19.4mm in diameter with a similar design.
There was also an
error
An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'.
In statistics ...
dated 1836 struck from a
Sixpence die.
Mint ledgers from this reign record that £60,000 or 120,000 half sovereigns dated 1834 being recalled due to their similarity to the seven shilling or third guinea pieces, which were being gilded and used as counterfeit.
Victoria, 1837–1901
Young head coinage, 1838–1887
![Modern coin , Half sovereign of Victoria (FindID 188013)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Modern_coin_%2C_Half_sovereign_of_Victoria_%28FindID_188013%29.jpg)
The first half sovereigns of
Victoria’s reign were issued in 1838.
The coins feature William Wyon’s youthful portrait of Victoria on the obverse, of which there are five variations and a shield reverse with the
escutcheon containing the
Hanoverian arms omitted as the right to the Kingdom of Hanover was exclusively for the male line of succession.
The type A2 features the second head of Victoria with the date below on the obverse and the die number below the shield on the reverse.
The type A3 featured the third and larger portrait. Type A4 features the fourth young head which has a hair ribbon. Type A5 features the fifth young head which shows no front ear lobe.
The Victorian era saw the introduction of branch mints for the first time, beginning with The Sydney Branch Mint, and growing to include The Melbourne Branch Mint.
Jubilee coinage 1887–1893
The first half sovereigns with the new veiled bust were issued in 1887 for the Queen’s golden jubilee.
Coins were minted at the Royal Mint in London from 1887–1893 but not in 1888 or 1889, and at The Melbourne Branch Mint in 1887 and 1893, as well as The Sydney Branch Mint in 1887, 1889 and 1891. Coinage features an older crowned bust of Victoria on the obverse and shield reverse.
Old head coinage 1893–1901
The obverse features an older featured veiled bust by engraver
Thomas Brock
Sir Thomas Brock (1 March 184722 August 1922) was an English sculptor and medallist, notable for the creation of several large public sculptures and monuments in Britain and abroad in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
His mos ...
, and the reverse features the famous design of St. George slaying the dragon for the first time on a half sovereign.
The Legend also has the addition “''IND. IMP.''” (Empress of India).
Coins were minted for the first time at The Perth Branch Mint.
1901–1910
The first half sovereigns during
Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and ...
’s reign were issued in 1902 and continued until 1910.
The coin features a bare head bust of Edward VII on the obverse and St. George reverse. Coins were minted in London,
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
,
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
and
Sydney.
1910–1936
Half sovereigns of this reign were first issued in 1911 and continued until 1915, however, they continued to be struck at the branch mints at later dates, including the new branch mint of
Pretoria
Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa.
Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foot ...
in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
.
The coin features a bare head bust of
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...
on the obverse and a St. George reverse.
World War I saw that gold was withdrawn from circulation in order to pay for war materials and essential imports.
1936–1952
Half sovereigns were not introduced into circulation at this time, however, there was a gold proof half sovereign issued for the Coronation in 1937.
The coin features a bare head bust of
George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of I ...
on the obverse and St. George reverse, and only plain edge coins were minted.
Australian half sovereign
![The Royal Mint, Sydney 1888](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/The_Royal_Mint%2C_Sydney_1888.jpg)
In response to large amounts of unrefined gold circulating during the
Gold Rush
A gold rush or gold fever is a discovery of gold—sometimes accompanied by other precious metals and rare-earth minerals—that brings an onrush of miners seeking their fortune. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, New ...
, The Sydney Mint was approved in 1853 and opened in 1855; thus, the Sydney General Hospital became the first overseas branch of the London Royal Mint. The Sydney Mint issued the Australia reverse Sydney Mint half sovereigns from 1855–1866, the first year was a very low mintage and the coins are very rare.
The next issues were the British Imperial type from the Sydney Mint in 1871 and Melbourne in 1872.
The Perth Mint first issued half sovereigns in 1900 and the last issue was in 1918.
Bullion and mintages were reclaimed by the British economy and sent via ship to Europe, including the sovereign. This meant that the lower valued half sovereign was in heavy circulation in Australia.
Modern collector and bullion Coin
The half sovereigns of
Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...
continue to be minted as
proofs and as
bullion.
A new half sovereign is released annually, as well as special issues.
Sovereigns from various reigns continue to be of special interest to collectors, and often sell for a far greater price than their nominal value.
![OBVERSE Elizabeth II 2002 Half Sovereign Proof](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/OBVERSE_Elizabeth_II_2002_Half_Sovereign_Proof.jpg)
Benedetto Pistrucci's St George Slaying the Dragon
![Pistrucci sovereign sketch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Pistrucci_sovereign_sketch.jpeg)
As Myatt and Hanley describe, the design of St George slaying the dragon is an example of a numismatic motif, with a similar design being used in 320 BC on a silver
Macedonian coin and appearing on later
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
coinage.
St George was made England’s patron saint by
Richard the Lionheart
Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was overl ...
.
The design on
sovereigns and half sovereigns issued during the reign of George III, features his namesake saint slaying the
Napoleonic dragon of Waterloo.
The Italian die-cutter responsible –
Benedetto Pistrucci was appointed as an assistant engraver at
the Royal Mint on June 26, 1816.
After the death of Chief Engraver Thomas Wyon in 1817, Pistrucci took over his duties, however, his Italian ethnicity prevented him from inheriting Wyon’s official title.
Pistrucci’s wax models of St George could not be reproduced by any of the Mint engravers, so his original design was used in 1817.
The design features a classic Greek warrior on horseback and was such a success with the public, it eventually did earn Pistrucci the title of Chief Engraver at the Royal Mint.
The original design was continued into the reign of
George IV
George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...
,
however, whilst the design was used for sovereigns, it only commenced to be featured on half sovereigns in 1893 during the reign of
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
.
Orientation of effigees/busts
As J.J. Cullimore Allen states in ''Sovereigns of the British Empire,''
"As is well known, it has long been the tradition that the effigee or bust of each succeeding monarch faces in the opposite direction to that of the predecessor. The result of this custom, as they affect the sovereign
nd half sovereign are as follows:
George III faces to the right
George IV faces to the left
William IV faces to the right
Victoria faces to the left
Edward VII faces to the right
George V faces to the left
Edward VIII faces to the left
George VI faces to the left
Elizabeth II faces to the right."
There is a break in consistency of this custom from Edward VIII to George VI, however, the Royal Mint proceeded with the custom following the ascension of George VI as though there had been none.
Specimens and mintages
Counterfeiting
The half sovereign is a "protected coin" for the purposes of Part II of the
Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981
The Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 (c 45) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which makes it illegal to make fake versions of many things, including legal documents, contracts, audio and visual recordings, and money of the Uni ...
.
[The ]Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981
The Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 (c 45) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which makes it illegal to make fake versions of many things, including legal documents, contracts, audio and visual recordings, and money of the Uni ...
, section 27(1), as read with the Forgery and Counterfeiting (Protected Coins) Order 1981 (S.I. 1981/505)
article 2
an
Schedule
/ref>
See also
*Quarter sovereign
The quarter sovereign is a British bullion or collectors' coin, whose introduction was announced by the Royal Mint in January 2009. Comprising 1.997 grams of 22 carat or 0.9170 fine gold (the crown gold standard), the 13.5 mm diameter ...
– introduced in 2009
References
External links
British Coins
– Free information about British coins. Includes an online forum.
Online Coin Club / Coins from United Kingdom / Half Sovereign (Pre-Decimal)
{{Coins of England
English gold coins
British gold coins
Coins of Australia
1544 introductions
1544 establishments in England
Bullion coins
Half-base-unit coins
Saint George and the Dragon