1 Shilling - George II Young bust (1727–1741)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1727–1741 |
| Denomination | 1 Shilling |
| Face value | 5p |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Circulating |
| Demonetised | Yes |
| Composition | Silver (.925) (925/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 6.020g · 0.1790 t oz |
| Diameter | 25.0mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Milled |
| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
| Obv. artist | John Croker |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Young laureate and draped bust of King George II left, legend around.
GEORGIVS II DEI GRATIA
Crowned cruciform shields with central Garter star, divided date above, legend around.
M B F ET H REX F D B ET L D S R I A T ET E
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AffiliateAbout the 1727 1 Shilling - George II Young bust
The 1727 1 Shilling - George II Young bust is a circulating 1 shilling coin issued from 1727 to 1741, struck in 92.5% silver. It weighs 6.02g and measures 25mm across. Reverse design: Crowned cruciform shields with central Garter star, divided date above, legend around.
It is no longer legal tender, so its value is to collectors only.
Common questions
How much is the 1727 1 Shilling - George II Young bust worth?
No verified sale of the 1727 1 Shilling - George II Young bust has been logged on MyCoinage yet. Its silver content is worth about £7.17 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
How many George II young bust shillings were made?
No mintage by date has been published for George II shillings. Scarcity is judged from the dates and provenance marks that survive. The Royal Mint Museum notes that silver coin production declined throughout the reign as silver was worth more as bullion than as coin.
What do the plumes on a 1727 shilling mean?
Plumes alone mark silver from the Welsh Copper Company, according to the Royal Mint Museum. Roses mark West of England mines, and roses and plumes together mark the Pitcoale and Seacoale company. The Museum holds a 1727 shilling with plumes.
Which overdates exist on the young bust shilling?
Tony Clayton and Coin Hunter both list 1736/5, 1739/7 and 1741/39, where a die was re-dated by punching the new figure over the old one. The 1739/7 and 1741/39 are listed as rarities and need magnification to confirm.
Who designed the young bust shilling?
The portrait is by John Croker, Chief Engraver from 1705 until his death in 1741. From 1729 his assistant John Sigismund Tanner was responsible for the reverse dies, according to the Royal Mint Museum.
How do I identify the 1727 1 Shilling - George II Young bust?
Check the weight 6.02g and diameter 25mm and the metal (92.5% silver) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
George II succeeded his father in 1727, and shillings with his young bust are dated from that year. Tony Clayton lists the type for 1727, 1728, 1729, 1731, 1732, 1734, 1735, 1736, 1737, 1739 and 1741, after which the older bust was introduced in 1743. No mintage has been published for any date.
The Royal Mint Museum describes the reign as one of declining silver output. Silver from the Americas was cheap in Europe compared with Asia, so trading companies profited from exporting it, and it was worth more as bullion than as coin. The provenance marks on these shillings show the domestic sources that kept the Mint supplied.
The obverse is John Croker's young laureate and draped bust facing left, with GEORGIVS II DEI GRATIA. The Royal Mint Museum notes that George II's British titles were moved off the obverse, where his father's coins had carried them, and onto the reverse. By 1729 Croker was the only man at the Mint who could make the punches for the head, so John Sigismund Tanner was appointed as his assistant and took on the reverse dies.
The reverse has four crowned shields in a cross, England impaling Scotland, France, Ireland and the Electorate, with the Garter star in the centre, as an Aberdeen museum record of a 1731 shilling describes. The legend M B F ET H REX F D B ET L D S R I A T ET E gives the king's titles in Britain and the Holy Roman Empire. Most dates have roses and plumes in the angles, for the Pitcoale and Seacoale company; plumes alone mark Welsh Copper Company silver and roses alone, used in 1739 and 1741, West of England mines. The edge is grained.
Varieties and errors
The 1727 shilling exists with plumes alone and with roses and plumes, and the Royal Mint Museum holds a plumes example. Clayton lists 1728 with no marks as well as roses and plumes, and 1731 with plumes alone. Overdates listed by both Clayton and Coin Hunter are 1736/5, 1739/7 and 1741/39.
Collecting notes
Read the reverse angles first: roses and plumes, plumes, roses or nothing. Then check the last digit of the date under magnification for overdates. Wear shows first on the hair and the crowns. The older bust shilling followed from 1743.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- George II, Royal Mint Museum (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Values of Shillings, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Coin values by year, George II (year pages 1727 to 1741, read one by one), Coin Hunter (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George II shilling, 1727, The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George II shilling, 1728, The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Shilling (Young Head: George II), 1731, Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George II shilling, 1739, The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- John Croker (engraver), Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
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