Very Rare: fewer than 100,000 minted. Rarely sells: 1 verified sales in the last 12 months.
4 Pence - George VI 1st Maundy issue (1937–1946)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1937–1946 |
| Denomination | 4 Pence |
| Mintage | 26,000 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Series | Maundy Money |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Silver (.500) (500/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 1.890g · 0.0304 t oz |
| Diameter | 18.0mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Thomas Humphrey Paget |
| Rev. artist | Jean Baptiste Merlen |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Uncrowned portrait of King George VI left, legend around.
Crowned denomination dividing date within oak wreath.
4 Pence - George VI 1st Maundy issue market value
Find this on eBay
Affiliate4 Pence - George VI 1st Maundy issue price history
Daily limit reached4 Pence - George VI 1st Maundy issue 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 | £32.00 🔒 eBay | £32.00 (1) | – | £32.00 – £32.00 | 1 | 1 | 27-07-2026 | |
|
Loading…
|
||||||||
About the 1937 4 Pence - George VI 1st Maundy issue
The 1937 4 Pence - George VI 1st Maundy issue is a collector 4 pence coin issued from 1937 to 1946 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 26,000 is recorded for one date of this type; figures for each year are not held.
Common questions
How much is the 1937 4 Pence - George VI 1st Maundy issue worth?
The 1937 4 Pence - George VI 1st Maundy issue has a price in one grade on MyCoinage so far: £32.00 in VF, the median of its verified sales. Its silver content is worth about £1.21 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
Is the 1937 to 1946 Maundy fourpence silver?
Yes, but only 50% silver. Maundy money followed the rest of the silver coinage down from sterling to 0.500 fine after 1920, and stayed at that standard until 1946. From 1947 Maundy coins went back to sterling silver while circulating coins became cupronickel.
How were George VI Maundy fourpences given out?
At the Royal Maundy service on the Thursday before Easter, the monarch gives each recipient a white purse of silver Maundy coins totalling as many pence as the monarch's age. The fourpence is the largest of the four coins, alongside the threepence, twopence and penny.
Is Maundy money legal tender?
Yes. Wikipedia notes that Maundy coins are technically legal tender, but they do not circulate because of their silver content and collector interest. Since 1971 they have been treated as new pence, so a fourpence counts as 4p.
Were 1937 Maundy coins sold in proof sets?
Yes. The Royal Mint says the 1937 Coronation proof sets included a silver Maundy set, so 1937 Maundy coins also exist outside the ordinary Maundy distribution. The Royal Mint says these sets were distributed from July 1937 until the early autumn of 1938.
How do I identify the 1937 4 Pence - George VI 1st Maundy issue?
Check the weight 1.89g and diameter 18mm and the metal (50% silver) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
Maundy money is struck for the Royal Maundy service, held on the Thursday before Easter, when the monarch gives elderly recipients purses of small silver coins. The Royal Mint Museum explains that the white purse holds as many pence in Maundy coins as the monarch has years. The fourpence is the largest of the four coins, alongside the threepence, twopence and penny.
This first George VI type ran from 1937 to 1946 in 0.500 silver, the standard all British silver coin had moved to after 1920. Tony Clayton notes that since 1909 Maundy sets have been available only to recipients and those involved in the ceremony, which keeps them scarce, though the number given out rises with the monarch's age.
1937 is a special case. The Royal Mint states that the 1937 Coronation proof sets included a silver Maundy set, and that these were distributed from July 1937 until the early autumn of 1938. The coins were struck in the medal department between highly polished dies.
The obverse uses Thomas Humphrey Paget's uncrowned portrait of George VI, the effigy the Royal Mint Museum says he produced in little more than a month after the abdication. Tony Clayton describes this type's legend as including FID DEF IND IMP, the King's titles as Defender of the Faith and Emperor of India.
The reverse is the traditional Maundy design: a crowned numeral 4 dividing the date within an oak wreath. Wikipedia credits it to Jean Baptiste Merlen, who introduced it in 1822, with the crown altered in 1888 by Leonard Charles Wyon.
Collecting notes
Maundy fourpences are usually collected in complete sets of four, and the Royal Collection holds its 1937 fourpence as part of a set. Tony Clayton's value list includes a 1937 proof alongside the ordinary 1937 coins.
Clayton notes that Maundy coins struck since the 1820s seldom turn up in worse than VF condition, so toning, scratches and signs of mounting matter more than wear. The type ended in 1946; the 1947 Maundy fourpence returned to sterling silver.
No recognised varieties or mint errors are documented for this coin.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- Royal Maundy, Wikipedia (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Maundy Money, Royal Mint Museum (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Maundy Money, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Values of Maundy Sets, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Humphrey Paget, Royal Mint Museum (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Initials on British coins, TreasureRealm (read 10 Oct 2026)
- George VI Maundy set, 1937: Maundy fourpence (RCIN 443691.a), Royal Collection Trust (read 10 Oct 2026)
- The 1937 George VI Coronation Proof Set, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
More from Maundy Money
