3 Pence - George V 4th issue (1927–1936)

One row for each year the 3 Pence - George V 4th issue 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; years with no sales yet fill in as sales are recorded. 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 1927 3 Pence - George V 4th issue

The 1927 3 Pence - George V 4th issue is a circulating 3 pence coin issued from 1927 to 1936, struck in 50% silver. It weighs 1.41g and measures 16mm across. Reverse design: Three oak sprigs with three acorns, denomination above, date below.

Mintage figures are recorded for 8 years between 1928 and 1936, 38,011,300 coins in all. 1928 is the scarcest date, with 1,302,100 struck. It is no longer legal tender, so its value is to collectors only.

Common questions

History and design

The Royal Mint Museum explains that Robert Johnson, Deputy Master from 1922, wanted to refresh the unimaginative heraldic designs of the early George V silver coins. In 1927 the King approved new reverses by George Kruger Gray for every silver denomination. The full series dated 1927 appeared only in proof sets, which went on sale in December 1927, and circulating coins followed a year later.

For the threepence this was a clean break. Tony Clayton notes that until 1927 the currency threepence and the Maundy threepence were essentially the same coin, a crowned 3; the new currency coin took an oak design while Maundy kept the crowned numeral. Coin Hunter's figures show modest output: 1,302,106 in 1928, none in 1929, 1,319,412 in 1930, then between three and seven and a half million a year to 1936.

By then the coin was out of favour. The Royal Mint Museum says changing habits made the small silver threepence unpopular, and a 12-sided nickel-brass threepence followed in 1937.

Wikipedia describes the reverse as three oak sprigs with three acorns and a G at the centre, inscribed THREE PENCE and the date. Kruger Gray's handling, in the Royal Mint Museum's words, gave the heraldic tradition a new freshness. The obverse is Bertram Mackennal's modified portrait of George V, with GEORGIVS V D G BRITT OMN REX F D IND IMP. The alloy, Wikipedia notes, was changed again in 1927 to 50% silver, 40% copper, 5% nickel and 5% zinc.

Collecting notes

1928 and 1930 are the dates to look for, each under 1.4 million against three million or more for every later date. Clayton's value list shows no 1929 coin. The 1927 threepence is proof only and comes from the 1927 proof sets.

No recognised varieties or mint errors are documented for this coin. The Maundy-type threepence of 1926 to 1936 carries the crowned 3 instead.