½ Guinea - George III 7th portrait (1804–1813)

One row for each year the ½ Guinea - George III 7th portrait 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 1804 Half Guinea - George III

The 1804 Half Guinea - George III is a circulating ½ guinea coin issued from 1804 to 1813, struck in 91.67% gold. It weighs 4.2g and measures 20mm across. Reverse design: Crowned shield of arms within garter, legend around, divided date below.

It is no longer legal tender (withdrawn 1891), so its value is to collectors only.

Common questions

History and design

Gold was scarce during the Napoleonic Wars. The Royal Mint Museum records that striking of gold was halted in 1799 because the war with France made it too hard to import bullion, and Wikipedia notes that Parliament had made banknotes legal tender in any amount. Guineas were not struck again until 1813, but half guineas continued in most years, and from 1804 they carried a new portrait.

Clayton and Coin Hunter list this type for 1804, 1805, 1806, 1808, 1809, 1810, 1811 and 1813. No mintage is published for any date. Clayton marks the 1805 ex rare, giving no values for it, and records the 1813 as the last half guinea minted. During these years the Mint moved from the Tower to new premises on Tower Hill, fitted with steam presses supplied by Matthew Boulton, with machinery installed by 1810 and the move complete in 1812.

The obverse shows the king with short curly hair, laureate to right, with GEORGIVS III DEI GRATIA. The Royal Mint's 1906 catalogue describes the 1804 half guinea as having the same legends and types as the 1813 guinea, whose portrait the Royal Mint Museum attributes to Nathaniel Marchant.

The reverse keeps the post-1801 design: the royal arms of England, Scotland and Ireland with the crowned Hanoverian escutcheon in the centre, within the Garter and its motto HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE, crowned, with BRITANNIARUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR around and the date below. The edge is milled obliquely.

Varieties and errors

Clayton lists a proof dated 1813, which he rates rarer than the currency coin of that year. No other varieties are documented.

Collecting notes

The 1805 is the date to look for, and any example should be checked closely, since Clayton marks it ex rare and prices no grade of it. The other dates are listed without special rarity. The Royal Mint Museum's 1804 example weighs 4.2 g, a useful benchmark against worn or filed coins. Wear first shows on the curls above the ear and the Garter buckle.

The half sovereign of 1817 replaced the denomination. The previous type is the sixth portrait half guinea of 1801 to 1803.