Sells occasionally: 6 verified sales in the last 12 months.
3 Shillings - George III Bank of England Token (1811–1812)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1811–1812 |
| Denomination | 3 Shillings |
| Face value | 15p |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Circulating |
| Demonetised | Yes |
| Composition | Silver (.8916) (892/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 14.700g · 0.4214 t oz |
| Diameter | 35.0mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Laureate and cuirassed bust of King George III right, legend around.
GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA REX
Legend above denomination and date within an oak wreath.
BANK TOKEN 3 SHILL. 1811
3 Shillings - George III Bank of England Token market value
Find this on eBay
Affiliate3 Shillings - George III Bank of England Token price history
Daily limit reached3 Shillings - George III Bank of England Token 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 | £31.24 🔒 eBay | £78.85 | – | £31.24 – £132.38 | 6 | 6 | 16-09-2026 | |
|
Loading…
|
||||||||
| MS-63 | £234.02 🔒 | £234.02 (1) | – | £234.02 – £234.02 | 0 | 1 | 16-12-2024 | |
|
Loading…
|
||||||||
About the 1811 3 Shillings - George III Bank of England Token
The 1811 3 Shillings - George III Bank of England Token is a circulating 3 shillings coin issued from 1811 to 1812, struck in 89.16% silver. It weighs 14.7g and measures 35mm across. Reverse design: Legend above denomination and date within an oak wreath.
It is no longer legal tender, so its value is to collectors only.
Common questions
How much is the 1811 3 Shillings - George III Bank of England Token worth?
Verified sold prices for the 1811 3 Shillings - George III Bank of England Token run from £78.85 to £234 across 2 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one. Its silver content is worth about £16.88 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
What is a three shilling bank token?
A silver emergency piece issued by the Bank of England from 1811, when regal silver coin was scarce. The Royal Mint struck it at Tower Hill from melted Spanish silver. It circulated for three shillings alongside an eighteen pence token until the Great Recoinage of 1816.
Is the 1811 three shilling token rare?
No. Tony Clayton describes all dates as reasonably common except 1816, the last year, which belongs to the later laureate head type. Proofs are rare. No published mintage for 1811 or 1812 was found.
How do I tell an 1811 type token from the later one?
The 1811 type shows the King's bust draped and in armour, with a decorated border, and an oak wreath on the reverse. From 1812 the portrait became a laureate head with a bare neck, and the reverse was changed too.
Is the three shilling token still legal tender?
No. It was a temporary issue replaced by the new silver coinage of 1816 and 1817. Clayton records that after 1820 the bank tokens were accepted only as bullion.
How do I identify the 1811 3 Shillings - George III Bank of England Token?
Check the weight 14.7g and diameter 35mm and the metal (89.16% silver) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
The three shilling token was the larger of two silver tokens the Bank of England put out in 1811. The Royal Mint Museum describes the background: the Mint had struck almost no silver for decades because the bullion was worth more than the coin, the old shillings and sixpences were worn nearly blank, and private firms were countermarking Spanish dollars or making their own silver tokens. The Bank's answer was an official three shilling piece and an eighteen pence piece, struck by the Royal Mint at Tower Hill from melted Spanish silver.
This entry is the first type, dated 1811 and 1812. Tony Clayton notes that the type changed during 1812, with a larger head of the King and a new reverse. No mintage for either date has been published in an accessible source.
The obverse shows a laureate bust of George III draped and in armour, with GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA REX around and, as the Aberdeen museum record notes, a decorated border. The reverse has no arms or portrait: BANK TOKEN, 3 SHILL. and the date are set in lines within an oak wreath, as on the Science Museum Group example of 1811.
That example weighs 14.7 g, twice the eighteen pence token, and museum pieces measure about 34 to 35 mm.
Varieties and errors
Dated 1811 and 1812. Clayton's value tables list 1812 under two types, the second being the laureate head design, and he notes some rare proofs. No mint errors are documented.
Collecting notes
Check the portrait first: an 1812 token with a bare, cut-off neck belongs to the laureate head type, not this one. On the armoured bust, wear shows on the laurel leaves, the shoulder and the lettering of the wreath.
The tokens were superseded by the Great Recoinage of 1816, and Clayton records that after 1820 they were accepted only as bullion. The eighteen pence token of the same years shares the armoured bust.
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 III, Royal Mint Museum (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Three Shillings, Forty Pence and Forty-Five Pence, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Bank-token of George III, three shillings, 1811 (1947-3/1/478), Science Museum Group, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Values of Three Shilling bank tokens, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George III coins (Seaby 3769 entry), WildWinds (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Three-shilling Token (Bank of England), 1811 (ABDMS019347), Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
