7. GREAT BRITAIN, GOLD HALF-SOVEREIGNS 1821-2011, PROOF ISSUES

Set Description
GT.BRITAIN, GOLD PROOF HALF-SOVEREIGNS 1821-2011.

The London Royal Mint struck its first gold sovereign in 1489 during the reign of Henry VII. This coin became known as a "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. The modern sovereign, smaller and featuring on the reverse the classic St. George and the dragon design by Benedetto Pistrucci and the half-sovereign featuring the Royal Arms were introduced in 1817, during the reign of King George III (1760-1820), taking the form in which we know them 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 the Royal Mint did not issue currency gold half-sovereigns until 1982. This was during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, when the first bullion half-sovereign issued only for that year.
The year 2000 was for particular interest to currency half-sovereign collectors, as for the first time since 1982 a bullion type gold half-sovereign was struck by the Royal Mint and continued to be struck yearly ever since.

Although proof half-sovereigns were struck for every reign until 1937, it was in 1980, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, when the London Royal Mint reissued the gold proof half-sovereign as a collector-edition, and continued the issue yearly ever since, omitting the year 1981. Every coin came in its own original box with a COA.

THE REIGNS

The Reign of KING GEORGE III (1760-1820) House of Hanover.
Born: 4 June 1738.
Accession: 25 October 1760.
Married: Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz 8 September 1761 the day they met for the first time.
Coronation: Tuesday, 22 September 1761.
Children: nine sons, six daughters.
Died: 29 January 1820, aged 81.

The Reign of KING GEORGE IV (1820-1830) House of Hanover.
Born: 12 August 1762.
Accession: 29 January 1820.
Married: Caroline of Brunswick 8 April 1795 later separated and banned from attending the Coronation.
Coronation: Thursday, 19 July 1821.
Child: one daughter Charlotte who predeceased her Father 6 November 1817.
Died: 26 June 1830, aged 67.

The Reign of KING WILLIAM IV (1830-1837) House of Hanover.
Born: 21 August 1765.
Accession: 26 June 1830.
Married: Adelaide of Saxe-Coburg and Meiningen, 11 July 1818 after first meeting a week before, a double wedding with his brother, Prince Edward the Duke of Kent.
Coronation: Thursday, 8 September 1831.
Children: two daughters who both died in childhood, ten illegitimate children previously.
Died: 20 June 1837.

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.

The Reign of KING EDWARD VII (1901-1910) House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Born: 9 November 1841.
Accession: 22 January 1901.
Married: Alexandra of Denmark 10 March 1863.
Coronation: Saturday, 9 August 1902.
Children: three sons, three daughters.
Died: 6 May 1910, aged 68.

The Reign of KING GEORGE V (1910-1936) House of Windsor.
Born: 3 June 1865.
Accession: 6 May 1910.
Married: Mary of Teck, 6 July 1893.
Coronation: Thursday, 22 June 1911, second Coronation as Emperor of India at the Delhi Durbar, Tuesday, 12 December 1911.
Children: five sons, one daughter.
Died: 20 January 1936, aged 70.

The Reign of KING GEORGE VI (1936-1952) House of Windsor.
Born: 14 December 1895.
Accession: 11 December 1936.
Married: Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, 26 April 1923. Coronation: Wednesday, 12 May 1937.
Children: two daughters.
Died: 6 February 1952, aged 56.

The Reign of QUEEN ELIZABETH II (1952- ) House of Windsor.
Born: 21 April 1926.
Accession: 6 February 1952.
Married: Philip of Greece and Denmark, 20 November 1947.
Coronation: Tuesday, 2 June 1953.
Children: three sons, one daughter.
Celebrating her Diamond Jubilee Year 2012.

PROOF COINS

A newly minted proof coin is also Un-circulated, however it is the way it is made that causes a difference in appearance and qualifies it as a "proof". Coins are produced when two dies strike a blank piece of metal with tremendous force. One die is engraved with the front (obverse) design for the coin. The other die has the back (reverse) coin design on it.

A proof coin is made with
a specially polished and treated die!

By treating the die in a special way, the coins it produces have a different appearance. The background (field) design of the coin die is polished, resulting in a mirror-like look on the coin it strikes. This gives the finished coin a frosted look (frosting) on the raise parts of the design, with a mirror like finish on the background. This contrasting finish is often called "cameo". On some older coins a cameo appearance is quite rare. The attribute "CAMEO", when added to a coin's description, means cameo appearance. "ULTRA CAMEO" indicates the cameo appearance is strong and easy to observe.

Proof coins are struck twice, or more!

Not only are proofs made using specially treated dies, each coin is struck two or more times by the coin die. By striking it more than once the metal is forced into all the crevices of the die, thereby giving a very fine detail to the image on the coin. This fine detail does not appear on some non-proof coins.

Grading proofs

Today's grading of proofs is similar to the grades used for uncirculated coins. The attribute "PR" or "PF" stands for "proof", and is used instead of the MS (mint state) to indicate a proof coin. Proofs (that are also uncirculated) will be graded PF 60 to PF 70, with PF 70 being rare or nonexistent in some cases. Because a proof coin can be mishandled or receive wear by cleaning or handling, proof grades can extend below PF 60. Like uncirculated coins, proofs can experience toning, tarnish or darkening.

This collection contains examples of proof half-sovereigns from 1821-date.

Set Goals
HOBBY