Elite: fewer than 10,000 minted.
4 Pence - George IIII Maundy issues (1822–1830)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1822–1830 |
| Denomination | 4 Pence |
| Mintage | 2,970 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Series | Maundy Money |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Silver (.925) (925/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 1.890g · 0.0562 t oz |
| Diameter | 18.0mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
| Rev. artist | Jean Baptiste Merlen |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Laureate portrait of King George IV left, legend around.
GEORGIUS IIII D. G. BRITANNIAR. REX F. D.
Crowned denomination dividing date within oak wreath.
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Daily limit reachedAbout the 1822 4 Pence - George IIII Maundy issues
The 1822 4 Pence - George IIII Maundy issues is a collector 4 pence coin issued from 1822 to 1830 in the Maundy Money series, struck in 92.5% silver. It weighs 1.89g and measures 18mm across. Reverse design: Crowned denomination dividing date within oak wreath.
A mintage of 2,970 is recorded for one date of this type; figures for each year are not held.
Common questions
How much is the 1822 4 Pence - George IIII Maundy issues worth?
No verified sale of the 1822 4 Pence - George IIII Maundy issues has been logged on MyCoinage yet. Its silver content is worth about £2.25 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
How many George IV Maundy fourpences were made?
Coinvarieties gives 2,970 for the 1822 Maundy sets and 2,772 for 1830, quoting a Stack's Bowers catalogue. Coinvarieties also says more fourpences were struck for circulation, which other references do not confirm.
Who designed the George IV Maundy fourpence?
The reverse, a crowned figure 4 within an oak wreath with the date, was created by Jean Baptiste Merlen for 1822. Wikipedia notes that this design has been struck every year since, with the crown altered by Leonard Charles Wyon in 1888.
Is a George IV Maundy fourpence legal tender?
Maundy coins are technically legal tender, but Wikipedia notes that they do not circulate because of their silver content and value to collectors. A George IV fourpence is a collector's coin, usually kept as part of a four-coin set.
Why are George IV Maundy coins usually in good condition?
Tony Clayton notes that after 1820 the small silver coins were struck solely for the Maundy ceremony, and that it is unusual to find them in worse than very fine condition. They were given as gifts and kept rather than spent.
How do I identify the 1822 4 Pence - George IIII Maundy issues?
Check the weight 1.89g and diameter 18mm and the metal (92.5% silver) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
Maundy money is given by the sovereign on Maundy Thursday to as many elderly men and as many elderly women as the monarch has years, with a white purse of silver coins whose total in pence matches the monarch's age. The Royal Mint Museum dates specially struck Maundy coins to 1662 under Charles II. Wikipedia notes that the fourpence, or groat, became part of the Maundy distribution only under George III.
Wikipedia records that 1821 was the last year in which no Maundy coins were struck. From 1822 Tony Clayton finds complete four-coin sets every year of George IV's reign, to 1830. Coinvarieties gives 2,970 fourpences for the 1822 Maundy sets, and a Stack's Bowers catalogue it quotes gives 2,772 for 1830.
The reverse was new in 1822. Wikipedia credits Jean Baptiste Merlen, a French engraver who joined the Royal Mint in 1820, with the design placing the crowned numeral and the date within an oak wreath, struck every year since with only the crown altered in 1888. The Royal Mint Museum's 1822 proof describes it as a crowned figure 4 and date within a wreath.
The obverse has a laureate head of the king facing left with GEORGIUS IIII D. G. BRITANNIAR. REX F. D. around. The Royal Mint Museum's 1822 proof weighs 1.87 g in silver and has a plain edge. A Science Museum Group record of an 1824 fourpence describes the wreath as oak leaves.
Collecting notes
Clayton notes that these small silver coins rarely turn up in worse than very fine condition, because they were struck for the ceremony and kept. Check for scratches, cleaning and marks from mounting. He describes the sets of this reign as available for every year, though not an easy series to collect, and lists an 1828 proof set.
Proofs exist alongside the ordinary Maundy strikings; the Royal Mint Museum holds an 1822 proof fourpence. The penny of the same sets is described on the George IV Maundy penny page.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- Maundy Money and Values of Maundy Sets, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Royal Maundy, Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George IV proof fourpence, 1822 (RMM 1337), The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Great Britain 1822 4 pence, CoinVarieties (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Great Britain 1830 4 pence, CoinVarieties (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Maundy money, Royal Mint Museum (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Fourpence (British coin), Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Object search: fourpence George IV, Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Jean Baptiste Merlen, Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
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