Coin - Half-Sovereign, George III, Great Britain, 1818

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Summary:: Gold coin; Denomination: Sovereign
Royal Mint, London
King George III (1760-1820)

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 coins were struck in the new Royal Mint building on Tower Hill with steam powered presses supplied by Messrs Boulton, Watt and Rennie.
Acquisition Information:: Transfer from Melbourne Branch of Royal Mint, 1978

Themes this item is part of:	Royal Mint, London, Royal Mint, Tower Hill, 1809-1975, Early History of London Mints, to 1300, The Royal Mint, Numismatics & Philately Collection
Primary Classification:	COINS
Secondary Classification:	Great Britain
Tertiary Classification:	working strikes
DateEra:	1818 AD
Denomination:	Half Sovereign
Obverse Description:	Laureate head of George III facing right above the date, 1818; around, GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA
Reverse Description:	Crowned 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; around, REX FID: DEF: BRITANNIARUM
Edge Description:	Milled
Shape:	round
Material:	Gold
Issued By:	King George III, England, Great Britain, 1818
Mint:	Royal Mint, London, London, England, Great Britain, 1818
Bibliography:	[Book], Philip Skingley - Spink & Sons Ltd., Coins of England and the United Kingdom, Spink & Son Ltd., London, 2007, Spink 3786 Pages