1 Shilling - George IV 2nd portrait 3rd reverse (1825–1829)

One row for each year the 1 Shilling - George IV 2nd portrait – 3rd reverse was struck. Prices are medians of verified sold listings matched to that year from the listing: circulated is worn condition up to Extremely Fine, uncirculated is About Uncirculated or better. A count in brackets means fewer than three sales behind the figure; a grey figure marked "type" is the median across every year, shown where that year has no sale of its own yet. Most types have been searched year by year only since October 2026, so later years are still filling in. Use the grade table below for a price by condition across all years.

About the 1825 1 Shilling - George IV – 3rd reverse

The 1825 1 Shilling - George IV – 3rd reverse is a circulating 1 shilling coin issued from 1825 to 1829, struck in 92.5% silver. It weighs 5.66g and measures 24mm across. Reverse design: © Heritage Auctions.

Mintage figures are recorded for 4 years between 1825 and 1829, 10,264,200 coins in all. 1827 is the scarcest date, with 574,200 struck. It is no longer legal tender (withdrawn 1990), so its value is to collectors only.

Common questions

History and design

George IV disliked his first coinage portrait, by Benedetto Pistrucci, and a new bare-headed likeness based on a bust by Francis Chantrey replaced it on the silver from 1825. The shilling changed both sides that year: Tony Clayton records the third type, with the bare head and a lion reverse, for 1825, 1826, 1827 and 1829.

Coin Hunter gives 2,459,160 for 1825 (a date total shared with the earlier shield-in-garter type), 6,351,840 for 1826, 574,200 for 1827 and 879,120 for 1829. The 1826 issue is by far the largest, and 1827 the smallest. The Royal Mint Museum notes that more shillings were struck in the 19th century than any other silver denomination.

The obverse shows the King's bare head facing left with GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA and the date below. The Royal Mint Museum says William Wyon engraved George IV's later coinage portraits, working from Chantrey's busts.

The reverse shows the royal crest, a crowned lion standing on a crown, above the rose, thistle and shamrock united, with BRITANNIARUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR around. The Royal Mint Museum lists the lion shillings of George IV among Wyon's designs and records that John Ruskin admired what he called 'lion shillings'. The edge is milled.

Varieties and errors

Clayton and Coin Hunter both list a rare 1825 shilling with a Roman I as the first figure of the date. Coin Hunter also lists an 1826 with the 6 over a 2. The 1825 over 3 overdate belongs to the earlier shield-in-garter type, not this one. Proofs exist for 1826, and the Royal Mint Museum holds one.

Collecting notes

The lion's mane and the detail of the crown beneath it are the first points to wear, along with the King's curls on the obverse. 1826 is the easiest date to find; 1827 had the smallest mintage of the four. Check the date closely for the Roman I and the 6 over 2.

The preceding type is the shield-in-garter shilling. After decimalisation shillings from 1816 onwards circulated as 5p pieces, but the Royal Mint Museum records that they were demonetised at the end of December 1990.