½ Sovereign - George V (1911–1915)

One row for each year the ½ Sovereign - George V 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 1911 Half Sovereign - George V

The 1911 Half Sovereign - George V is a circulating ½ sovereign coin issued from 1911 to 1915 in the Half Sovereign series, struck in 91.67% gold. It weighs 3.99g and measures 19mm across. Reverse design: St George on horseback slaying the dragon right, date in exergue.

Mintage figures are recorded for 5 years between 1911 and 1915, 27,716,000 coins in all. 1915 is the scarcest date, with 2,043,000 struck.

Common questions

History and design

The half sovereign, worth ten shillings, was the smaller of the two everyday gold coins. A proclamation of 28 November 1910, in force from 1 January 1911, gave it the same designs as the sovereign. London struck it every year from 1911 to 1915: 6,104,106 in 1911 and more than six million in each of the next three years, according to Coin Hunter and Chard's taxfreegold.co.uk, which agree on every date.

War ended its working life. Wikipedia records that once war began in 1914, ten-shilling and one-pound notes were issued in place of the two gold coins, and the government presented a request for gold as unpatriotic. The Royal Mint Museum says half sovereign striking in London had ceased completely by 1915, which is why that year's 2,042,747 is the lowest London date. Branch mints went on longer: Tony Clayton notes Perth's last circulation issue in 1918, and Pretoria proofs dated 1923 followed by currency coins in 1925 and 1926.

The obverse is the bare head of George V facing left by Bertram Mackennal, signed BM, with the same inscription as the sovereign: GEORGIVS V D.G. BRITT: OMN: REX F.D. IND: IMP:. The reverse is Benedetto Pistrucci's St George on horseback attacking the dragon with a sword, a broken spear on the ground and the date in the exergue. Wikipedia notes the design was first placed on the half sovereign in 1893. The edge is milled.

Collecting notes

All five London dates were made in millions, so none is scarce in mintage terms, and 1915 is the lowest. London coins have no mint mark. Half sovereigns with M, P, S or SA above the date are branch mint strikes and were made in much smaller numbers.

Coin Hunter also lists a 1911 proof. The half sovereign remains legal tender, though it is valued only as gold. The London sovereign of George V covers the larger gold coin.