Set Description
QUEEN VICTORIA, CURRENCY GOLD HALF SOVEREIGNS 1838-1901.
The Royal Mint struck its first gold sovereign in 1489 during the reign of Henry VII. This coin became known as "sovereign" because the obverse design depicted the King enthroned in regal splendour. It was the first gold coin produced with a value of one pound or twenty shillings, it was the largest coin yet issued in England and also the most beautiful.
The half-sovereign was introduced a few years after, during the reign of King Henry VIII (1509-1547), in the year 1544, nearly 300 years before the modern coinage period. This half-sovereign was introduced to replace the ryals, at a value of ten shillings, and with a weight of 96 grains. It was struck at the Royal Mint.
The half-sovereign continued to be issued for the reign of Edward VI (1547-1553), the young boy who succeeded his father at only nine years of age. It was next struck in the reign of James I (1603-1625) and eventually replaced by the half-guinea during the reign of Charles II (1660-1685). It appeared again in 1817, during the reign of George III (1760-1820) in the form as we know it today.
Gold half-sovereigns continued to be issued by the Royal Mint in London for the reigns of King George IV (1821-1830), King William IV (1831-1837), Queen Victoria (1838-1901), King Edward VII (1902-1910), and King George V (1911-1915).
After 1915 currency half -sovereigns were not issued by the Royal Mint until 1982 when the first bullion half-sovereign issued only for that year.
The year 2000 was of particular interest to half-sovereign enthusiasts, because for the first time since1982 a bullion type half-sovereign was struck and continued to be struck yearly ever since.
QUEEN VICTORIA
The Reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) House of Hanover.
Born: 24 May 1819.
Accession: 20 June 1837.
Married: Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, 10 February 1840.
Coronation: Thursday 28 June 1838.
Children: Four sons, five daughters.
Died: 22 January 1901, aged 81.
Queen Victoria (1819-1901), began her reign upon the death of her uncle on 20 June 1837. She enjoyed the longest reign of any monarch so far. Many fine types and varieties of gold coinage were produced during Victoria's reign. Regarding the half-sovereign, three main types or designs were recognised during this period: The "Young Head", the "Jubilee Head" and the "Old Head" (Veiled Head).
The first gold currency half-sovereign for this reign was issued in 1838, bearing the " Young Head " design on the obverse and the Ensigns Armorial of the United Kingdom within a garnished shield surmounted by a crown on the reverse. Several types and varieties were issued with this design until 1885.
The Golden Jubilee half-sovereign was struck in 1887, bearing on the obverse the bust of the Queen facing left and wearing a small crown and the Ensigns Armorial of the United Kingdom within a garnished shield and surmounted by a royal crown on the reverse. Four more currency issues of half-sovereigns ( 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893) were struck with the same " Jubilee Head " design.
In 1893 the final design of coinage known as the " Old Head " or " Veiled Head " type was introduced. This type featured on the obverse the bust of the Queen facing left, veiled and draped, and on the reverse the design of St. George mounted with streamer flowing from helmet, slaying the Dragon with sword. Nine issues of gold half-sovereigns were struck by the Royal Mint with this design (1893-1901).
REFERENCES:
COINS OF ENGLAND & THE UNITED KINGDOM, 45th Edition 2010, by SPINK.
THE GOLD HALF-SOVEREIGN, 2nd Edition 2004, by MICHAEL A. MARSH.
This collection contains examples of all the above types described.
