4 Pence - George V 3rd Maundy issue (1928–1936)

One row for each year the 4 Pence - George V 3rd Maundy 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. 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 1928 4 Pence - George V 3rd Maundy issue

The 1928 4 Pence - George V 3rd Maundy issue is a collector 4 pence coin issued from 1928 to 1936 in the Maundy Money series, struck in 50% silver. It weighs 1.89g and measures 18mm across. Reverse design: Crowned denomination dividing date within oak wreath.

A mintage of 1,642 is recorded for one date of this type; figures for each year are not held.

Common questions

History and design

The fourpence is the largest of the four Maundy coins handed out at the Royal Maundy service each Maundy Thursday. The Royal Mint Museum explains that the white purse contains as many pence in silver Maundy coins as the monarch has years, so the number struck grows through a reign.

This third George V type ran from 1928 to 1936 in 0.500 silver, the standard Maundy coins had used since 1921. What changed in 1928 was the portrait: Tony Clayton lists the Maundy coins of 1928 and 1929 with a modified effigy, and those of 1930 to 1936 with a re-engraved one. CoinVarieties records 1,937 fourpences for 1932.

Two dates have a story. Wikipedia records that in 1932 George V distributed the coins in person, the first monarch to do so since the 17th century and the only time he attended. In 1936, after his death in January, the distribution was made by Edward VIII, though the coins still bore George V's head.

The obverse is Bertram Mackennal's portrait of George V facing left, in its modified form. The Royal Mint Museum notes that Mackennal's portrait was so large and proud that it caused ghosting, and that it was reduced in size on the bronze coins in 1928. His initials BM sit on the truncation.

The reverse is the traditional crowned numeral 4 dividing the date within an oak wreath, credited by Wikipedia to Jean Baptiste Merlen (1822) with the crown revised by Leonard Charles Wyon in 1888.

Varieties and errors

Clayton separates the 1928 to 1929 modified effigy from the 1930 to 1936 re-engraved effigy. No mint errors are documented.

Collecting notes

Most collectors buy these as complete four-coin sets. Clayton notes that Maundy coins seldom turn up in worse than VF, so look for even toning and no edge knocks or mounting marks. The 1932 and 1936 sets carry the most history for the type. The earlier 1921 to 1927 Maundy fourpence has the original portrait.