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3 Shillings - George III Bank of England Token (1812–1816)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1812–1816 |
| 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 | 34.0mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Laureate portrait of King George III right, legend around.
GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA REX
Legend above denomination and date, all within an oak wreath.
3 Shillings - George III Bank of England Token market value
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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 | £60.20 🔒 | £60.20 (1) | – | £60.20 – £60.20 | 1 | 1 | 13-12-2025 | |
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About the 1812 3 Shillings - George III Bank of England Token
The 1812 3 Shillings - George III Bank of England Token is a circulating 3 shillings coin issued from 1812 to 1816, struck in 89.16% silver. It weighs 14.7g and measures 34mm across. Reverse design: Legend above denomination and date, all within an oak wreath.
It is no longer legal tender, so its value is to collectors only.
Common questions
How much is the 1812 3 Shillings - George III Bank of England Token worth?
The 1812 3 Shillings - George III Bank of England Token has a price in one grade on MyCoinage so far: £60.20 in VF, the median of its verified sales. Its silver content is worth about £16.88 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
Which three shilling bank token is rare?
1816. Tony Clayton describes all dates as reasonably common except 1816, the final year of issue, which he calls very scarce. Proofs are also rare. No mintage figures have been published in an accessible source to measure the difference.
Who made the three shilling bank token?
The Royal Mint, at its new premises on Tower Hill, for the Bank of England. The Royal Mint Museum records that the tokens were struck from melted down Spanish silver held by the Bank, in three shilling and eighteen pence values, between 1811 and 1816.
What is the difference between the 1811 and 1812 three shilling tokens?
The 1811 type has a draped, armoured bust of George III. During 1812 the Bank changed to a laureate head with a larger, bare neck, and Clayton notes the reverse was changed as well. 1812 exists with both designs.
Is a three shilling bank token worth three shillings today?
It has no face value. Clayton records that after 1820 the bank tokens were accepted only as bullion, once the new coinage of 1816 and 1817 had replaced them.
How do I identify the 1812 3 Shillings - George III Bank of England Token?
Check the weight 14.7g and diameter 34mm and the metal (89.16% silver) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
The Bank of England began issuing silver tokens for three shillings and eighteen pence in 1811, as a stop-gap while the regal silver coinage was all but absent. The Royal Mint Museum records that the tokens were struck by the Royal Mint at Tower Hill from melted Spanish silver, partly to stop the spread of private silver tokens, and that they were issued until 1816.
Tony Clayton writes that during 1812 the type changed to a larger bust of the King with a new reverse. This entry covers that second type, dated 1812 to 1816. He describes every date as reasonably common except 1816, the last year, which is very scarce. No year by year mintage has been published in an accessible source.
The obverse shows a laureate head of George III facing right, the neck cut off without drapery, with GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA REX around. A Nottingham Museums example of 1814 is described as laureate but undraped. The reverse sets BANK TOKEN, 3 SHILL. and the date in lines inside a wreath, which the Science Museum Group describes as oak and laurel on its 1816 example; Nottingham calls it oak and olive.
The Science Museum Group token of 1816 weighs 14.71 g, and an Aberdeen example of 1812 measures 34 mm.
Varieties and errors
1816 is the key date. 1812 appears with both portraits, so the type must be checked, and Clayton notes some rare proofs. No mint errors are documented. The Nottingham 1814 example has an inverted letter C impressed on the King's cheek, a mark added after striking rather than part of the design.
Collecting notes
The cheek, the laurel leaves and the top of the wreath take the first wear. Look closely at the last digit of the date, since a worn 1813 or 1815 can be mistaken for the scarcer 1816. Check whether stamps or marks have been added later, as on the Nottingham piece.
The tokens lost their purpose with the Great Recoinage, and Clayton records that after 1820 they were accepted only as bullion. For the first type see the armoured bust token.
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, 1816 (1947-3/1/479), Science Museum Group, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Three shillings (bank token), 1814 (NCM 1934-17), Nottingham Museums, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George III coins (Seaby 3770 entry), WildWinds (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Values of Three Shilling bank tokens, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Three-shilling Token (Bank of England), 1812 (ABDMS019346), Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
