½ Crown - George I (1715–1726)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1715–1726 |
| Denomination | ½ Crown |
| Face value | 12.5p |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Circulating |
| Demonetised | 1969 |
| Composition | Silver (.925) (925/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 15.050g · 0.4476 t oz |
| Diameter | 33.0mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Lettered |
| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
| Obv. artist | John Croker |
| Rev. artist | John Croker |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Laureate and draped bust of King George I right, legend around.
Crowned cruciform shields with central Garter star, divided date above, legend around.
Half Crown - George I market value
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AffiliateHalf Crown - George I price history
Daily limit reachedHalf Crown - George I 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EF | £1,100.00 🔒 | £975.00 | – | £900.00 – £1,100.00 | 0 | 3 | 01-06-2014 | |
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| VF | £1,500.00 🔒 | £800.00 | – | £260.00 – £1,900.00 | 0 | 11 | 03-03-2019 | |
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| F | £550.00 🔒 | £550.00 (1) | – | £170.00 – £600.00 | 0 | 7 | 02-06-2024 | |
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| VG | £300.00 🔒 | £300.00 (1) | – | £200.00 – £300.00 | 0 | 3 | 03-12-2023 | |
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About the 1715 Half Crown - George I
The 1715 Half Crown - George I is a circulating ½ crown coin issued from 1715 to 1726, struck in 92.5% silver. It weighs 15.05g and measures 33mm across. Reverse design: Crowned cruciform shields with central Garter star, divided date above, legend around.
It is no longer legal tender (withdrawn 1969), so its value is to collectors only.
Common questions
How much is the 1715 Half Crown - George I worth?
Verified sold prices for the 1715 Half Crown - George I run from £300 to £975 across 4 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one. Its silver content is worth about £17.87 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
How many George I half crowns were made?
No mintage by date has been published for George I half crowns. Only five dates were struck: 1715, 1717, 1720, 1723 and 1726. The 1723 SSC coins were part of a South Sea Company issue worth around 100,000 pounds across four silver denominations.
What does SSC mean on a 1723 half crown?
SSC stands for the South Sea Company, which supplied the silver. The letters SS and C replace the roses and plumes in the angles of the reverse. Wikipedia notes that the SSC half crown is hard to find better than very fine.
Is a George I half crown still legal tender?
No. The Royal Mint Museum says the half crown ceased to be legal tender in January 1970, so no half crown of any date can now be spent. A George I half crown, more than two centuries older, is a collector's coin only.
Are there copies of the George I half crown?
Yes. Amgueddfa Cymru, the National Museum Wales, catalogues an electrotype copy of a 1723 half crown alongside genuine George I coins. Check the edge lettering and the weight of any example that looks doubtful.
How do I identify the 1715 Half Crown - George I?
Check the weight 15.05g and diameter 33mm and the metal (92.5% silver) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
The half crown of George I was struck in only five years: 1715, 1717, 1720, 1723 and 1726. Tony Clayton lists roses and plumes on every date except 1723. No mintage figure by date has been published, which is usual for silver of this period.
The 1723 coins carry SSC for the South Sea Company. Wikipedia records that silver the company brought from Cartagena was struck that year into crowns, half crowns, shillings and sixpences to a total value of around 100,000 pounds, and that the half crown is difficult to find better than very fine. Clayton notes that after 1751 no half crowns were struck until the Great Recoinage of 1816.
The obverse shows the laureate bust of George I facing right. The reverse has four crowned shields arranged as a cross, for England impaling Scotland, France, Ireland and the Electorate, around the Garter star, with the date in the legend. The angles carry roses and plumes, which the Royal Mint Museum links to silver from the company smelting lead with pit coal and sea coal, or SS and C on the 1723 coins.
John Croker, Chief Engraver at the Royal Mint from 1705, engraved the dies for George I's gold and silver. The Royal Mint Museum describes the edge of its 1715 and 1723 half crowns as raised lettered.
Varieties and errors
The 1723 SSC is the main variety. Clayton and Coin Hunter both list a 1720/17 overdate, where a 1717 die was altered to 1720. Coin Hunter also lists a 1715 half crown with a plain edge and describes the 1726 marks as small roses and plumes.
Collecting notes
Read the reverse angles and the date first, and check that the edge lettering is complete and shows no sign of filing. Amgueddfa Cymru holds an electrotype of a 1723 half crown, a reminder that copies of this type exist, so check the edge and weight of any doubtful example.
These coins are not legal tender. The Royal Mint Museum dates the end of the half crown as a legal tender coin to January 1970.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- Values of Halfcrowns, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Halfcrown, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Coin values by year, George I (year pages 1715, 1717, 1720, 1723 and 1726, read one by one), Coin Hunter (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George I half-crown, 1715, The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George I half-crown, 1723, The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- South Sea Company coinage, Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George II, Royal Mint Museum (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Crown (British coin), Wikipedia (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Half-crown, Royal Mint Museum (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George I halfcrown (electrotype), 1723, Amgueddfa Cymru, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
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