Elite: fewer than 10,000 minted.
4 Pence - William IV Maundy issues (1831–1837)
"Maundy groat"
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1831–1837 |
| Denomination | 4 Pence |
| Mintage | 3,564 |
| 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 |
| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
| Obv. artist | Francis Chantrey, William Wyon |
| Rev. artist | Jean Baptiste Merlen |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Uncrowned portrait of King William IV right, legend around.
GULIELMUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:
Crowned denomination dividing date within oak wreath.
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Daily limit reachedAbout the 1831 4 Pence - William IV Maundy issues
The 1831 4 Pence - William IV Maundy issues is a collector 4 pence coin issued from 1831 to 1837 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 3,564 is recorded for one date of this type; figures for each year are not held.
Common questions
How much is the 1831 4 Pence - William IV Maundy issues worth?
No verified sale of the 1831 4 Pence - William IV 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 William IV Maundy fourpences were made?
Only a few thousand a year. CoinVarieties, quoting the Krause catalogue and a Stack's Bowers sale, gives 2,574 for both 1834 and 1836. By comparison, over four million Britannia groats were struck for circulation in 1836 alone.
Who designed the William IV Maundy fourpence?
The King's head is William Wyon's engraving after a bust by Sir Francis Chantrey, as the Royal Mint Museum records. The crowned 4 within an oak wreath is Jean Baptiste Merlen's reverse of 1822, still used on Maundy money today.
Is a William IV Maundy fourpence still legal tender?
Yes. At decimalisation in 1971 Maundy coins kept their face value and became legal tender as new pence, so a William IV fourpence counts as 4p. Its silver content and collector interest mean it is never spent.
How do I tell a Maundy groat from the 1836 Britannia groat?
Look at the reverse. The Maundy coin has a crowned figure 4 dividing the date inside an oak wreath. The circulating groat of 1836 and 1837 has a seated Britannia with FOUR PENCE around and a milled edge.
How do I identify the 1831 4 Pence - William IV 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
The fourpence was one of the four small silver coins struck for the Royal Maundy, the Holy Week ceremony at which the monarch gives alms to as many poor men and women as the sovereign's age. Tony Clayton notes that after George III the crowned 4 was struck solely for the ceremony, and that from 1822 complete four-coin sets exist for every year. William IV's sets run from 1831, the year of his coronation, to 1837.
The numbers were tiny beside the circulating coinage. CoinVarieties, quoting the Krause catalogue and a Stack's Bowers sale, gives 2,574 fourpences for both 1834 and 1836, against more than four million Britannia groats in 1836. Wikipedia records that after the 1837 Maundy William IV ordered that the recipients' food be replaced by a money payment, since they had been selling it for far less than its value.
The obverse carries William Wyon's engraving of the King's bare head facing right, after a bust by the sculptor Sir Francis Chantrey, with the legend GULIELMUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:. The Royal Mint Museum notes that Wyon's William IV portraits were not entirely his own work, being based on Chantrey's bust.
The reverse is the crowned figure 4 within an oak wreath, dividing the date. Wikipedia credits this design to Jean Baptiste Merlen, who introduced it in 1822; it is still struck each year with only a revised crown from 1888. The coin is sterling silver and about 17 mm across.
Varieties and errors
Clayton lists proofs dated 1831, including a gold proof. No overdates or mint errors are documented for this coin.
Collecting notes
Clayton notes that Maundy coins of this period rarely turn up in worse than very fine condition, since they were struck only for the ceremony. Sets kept together tend to tone alike. Check for a crowned 4 in a wreath rather than Britannia, and for wear on the King's hair and the crown, which are the high points.
Single fourpences and complete four-coin sets both turn up. For the circulating coin of the same reign see the William IV Britannia groat, and for the next reign the Young Head Maundy fourpence.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- William IV Maundy twopence, 1831 (RMM 144), The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Royal Maundy, Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Groat coin (Maundy Money) of William IV, 1832, Science Museum Group, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Values of Four Pence, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Great Britain 1834 and 1836 4 pence (pages read one by one), CoinVarieties (read 12 Oct 2026)
- William Wyon, Royal Mint Museum (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Decimal Day, Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Maundy Money, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Maundy fourpence dated 1831 (BC785), Culture Perth & Kinross, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
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