Very Rare: fewer than 100,000 minted.
1 Penny - George IV Maundy issues (1822–1830)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1822–1830 |
| Denomination | 1 Penny |
| Mintage | 12,000 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Series | Maundy Money |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Silver (.925) (925/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 0.470g · 0.0140 t oz |
| Diameter | 11.0mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
| Rev. artist | Jean Baptiste Merlen |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Laureate bust of King George IV left, legend around.
GEORGIUS IIII D. G. BRITANNIAR. REX F. D.
Crowned denomination dividing date within oak wreath.
1 Penny - George IV Maundy issues market value
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Affiliate1 Penny - George IV Maundy issues price history
Daily limit reached1 Penny - George IV Maundy issues value by grade
Realised auction prices · ⭐ Pro Expand rows for individual sale records| Grade | Latest | Median | 30d Δ | All-time range | Sales (1yr) | Total sales | Last sale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VF | £141.04 🔒 | £141.04 (1) | – | £141.04 – £141.04 | 0 | 1 | 09-12-2023 | |
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About the 1822 1 Penny - George IV Maundy issues
The 1822 1 Penny - George IV Maundy issues is a collector 1 penny coin issued from 1822 to 1830 in the Maundy Money series, struck in 92.5% silver. It weighs 0.47g and measures 11mm across. Reverse design: Crowned denomination dividing date within oak wreath.
A mintage of 12,000 is recorded for one date of this type; figures for each year are not held.
Common questions
How much is the 1822 1 Penny - George IV Maundy issues worth?
The 1822 1 Penny - George IV Maundy issues has a price in one grade on MyCoinage so far: £141 in VF, the median of its verified sales.
How many George IV Maundy pennies were made?
Coinvarieties, citing the standard catalogues, gives 83,608 for the whole series of 1822 to 1830, and 7,920 each for 1829 and 1830. Figures for the earlier dates were not found in a published reference.
Who designed the George IV Maundy penny?
The reverse, a crowned figure 1 within an oak wreath with the date, was created by Jean Baptiste Merlen for 1822. It is the design still used on Maundy money, with the crown altered by Leonard Charles Wyon in 1888.
Is a George IV Maundy penny legal tender?
Maundy coins are technically legal tender, but they do not circulate because of their silver content and collector value. Coinvarieties notes that recipients saved them, so a George IV penny is a collector's piece and is never spent.
Why are George IV Maundy pennies usually found in good condition?
After 1820 the small silver coins were struck only for the Maundy ceremony, so they were not used in everyday change. Tony Clayton notes it is unusual to find them in worse than very fine condition.
How do I identify the 1822 1 Penny - George IV Maundy issues?
Check the weight 0.47g and diameter 11mm and the metal (92.5% silver) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
Maundy money is distributed by the sovereign on Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday, to as many elderly men and women as the monarch has years. The coins are given in a white purse, in silver, with a total in pence equal to the monarch's age. The Royal Mint Museum traces specially struck Maundy coins back to Charles II.
Wikipedia records that 1821, the first year of George IV's reign, was the last year in which no Maundy coins were struck. From 1822 a complete set of penny, twopence, threepence and fourpence was made every year of the reign, up to 1830. Tony Clayton notes that after 1820 these small silver coins were struck solely for the ceremony. Coinvarieties gives 83,608 pennies for the whole series of 1822 to 1830, including 7,920 in each of 1829 and 1830.
The reverse is the important change. For 1822 Jean Baptiste Merlen, a French engraver who had joined the Royal Mint in 1820, created a new reverse placing the crowned numeral 1 and the date within an oak wreath. Wikipedia notes that this design has been struck every year since, with only the crown altered in 1888.
The obverse has a small laureate head of the king with GEORGIUS IIII D. G. BRITANNIAR. REX F. D. around. The coin is struck in sterling silver, weighs under half a gram and has a plain edge. Clayton notes that the 1822 threepence used the head punch of the twopence, so its portrait looks small; the penny is not affected.
Collecting notes
Maundy pennies are usually found well preserved, since Clayton points out that they rarely turn up below very fine. Coinvarieties adds that recipients saved them, which is why they are common today. Look for scratches, cleaning and signs of mounting.
Clayton describes the four-coin sets of this reign as available for every year but not an easy series to collect. Proofs exist: the Royal Mint Museum holds an 1822 proof penny. Maundy coins remain technically legal tender, but they are never seen in change.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- Maundy Money, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Maundy money, Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George IV proof penny, 1822 (RMM 1342), The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Maundy money, Royal Mint Museum (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Great Britain 1829 penny (and the 1830 penny KM-683 page), CoinVarieties (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Jean Baptiste Merlen, Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
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