£275.00
1816 Silver Halfcrown of King George III, featuring the laureate bust portrait by Benedetto Pistrucci and a crowned shield of arms reverse. Issued as part of the Great Recoinage of 1816, an important milestone in British coinage history.
1816 King George III Silver Halfcrown – Great Recoinage Issue
This halfcrown was struck in 1816 at the start of the Great Recoinage, a sweeping reform of British coinage following the Napoleonic Wars. These coins marked the first of Britain’s truly standardised modern silver coinage.
The obverse bears a bold laureate bust of King George III, facing right, engraved by Benedetto Pistrucci. Around the portrait runs the Latin legend: GEORGIUS III D:G: BRITANNIAR: REX F:D: (“George III, by the Grace of God, King of the Britains, Defender of the Faith”).
The reverse displays a crowned shield of arms, incorporating the symbols of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Hanover, framed by the Garter motto and topped with the Imperial Crown. The date of issue, 1816, appears below.
Specifications:
Date: 1816
Monarch: King George III
Denomination: Halfcrown (Two Shillings and Sixpence)
Metal: Sterling Silver (.925)
Weight: 14.14 g (approx.)
Diameter: 32 mm (approx.)
Edge: Milled
Mint: Royal Mint, London
Obverse: Laureate bust of King George III right, legend GEORGIUS III D:G: BRITANNIAR: REX F:D:
Reverse: Crowned shield of arms within Garter motto, date below
Engraver: Benedetto Pistrucci (obverse)
Reference: Spink 3788
A handsome and historically significant issue, the 1816 Halfcrown stands as one of the first examples of Britain’s modernised coinage and remains highly collectable today.
