King George V Coins Value Guide (1910-1936)

King George V reigned from 6 May 1910 (succeeding Edward VII) to 20 January 1936 — 25 years and 8 months. His reign covered the First World War, the Great Depression, and the early modern era of UK coinage. He was succeeded briefly by his eldest son Edward VIII (who abdicated within a year) and then by his second son George VI.

The 1933 penny — mintage fewer than 10 specimens, all struck for foundation-stone burials and proof presentation. Documented sales above £72,000 at Heritage Auctions. See our dedicated 1933 penny guide for the full story. Other famous George V rarities: the 1925 Wreath threepence, the 1932 silver florin (mintage 717,041, the lowest of the series), and the 1932 silver shilling (low mintage too). The 1932 dates collectively are known as the "key years" of the George V silver series.

1920. Pre-1920 George V silver coins (florins, shillings, sixpences, threepences, crowns, half-crowns) are sterling silver (.925 fineness). From 1920-1936, silver content was reduced to .500 silver (debased) due to post-WWI silver price pressures. The 1920 transition is one of the most-studied moments in British numismatic history. Pre-1920 sterling florins contain 10.5 g pure silver; 1920-1936 .500 florins contain 5.7 g pure silver. Both are CGT-exempt under UK legal-tender exemption. See our CGT-exempt coins UK guide.

In Fine grade: £1-3. In Very Fine: £5-15. In Extremely Fine: £25-80. In mint state: £100-300+. The 1932 penny (mintage 53M) and 1934 penny (31M) have higher key-date premiums; 1928-31 dates are slightly above common. Bronze quality and surface preservation matter enormously — a dipped or cleaned penny halves in value vs an original-surface specimen. The 1933 penny is the headline rarity at £72,000+.

In 1926 the Royal Mint subtly modified the George V portrait. The "narrower head" / "modified effigy" pennies are scarcer than the original portrait, particularly key dates: 1926 modified effigy penny (mintage 1,927 confirmed) trades at £500-2,000 in collectable grade; 1928 modified effigy at £30-150. The change was driven by die-degradation issues with the original portrait. Look for the lower-relief, narrower bust on post-1926 pennies. This isn't a major collecting variant but adds a layer of detail for date-run collectors.

In Fine grade: £15-30. In Very Fine: £40-80. In Extremely Fine: £120-250. In mint state: £500+. The 1932 florin had a mintage of 717,041 — the lowest of the George V series, and one of the most-collected florins of the era. Authenticate before paying any meaningful sum — the 1932 is occasionally faked via date alteration of more common years. See our florin values UK guide.

The George V gold sovereign was struck 1911-1932 (with gaps during silver-shortage years). Common-date London-mint George V sovereigns trade at bullion + 5-10%. Branch-mint sovereigns — Sydney (S), Melbourne (M), Perth (P), Bombay (I), Pretoria (SA), Ottawa (C) — trade at higher premiums (15-50%) and key dates 1916-c at £5,000+. The 1916 Ottawa C sovereign is one of the major George V branch-mint rarities (very limited mintage). All George V sovereigns are CGT-exempt as UK legal tender.

A scarce date in the George V silver threepence series. Mintage 4,107,632 standard threepences plus a smaller proof-style "wreath" sub-variety with a redesigned reverse showing an oak-leaf wreath instead of the standard George V reverse. The Wreath variety trades at £100-400 depending on grade. The standard 1925 silver threepence trades at £3-15. Distinguishing between the two requires careful reverse inspection — the wreath version has clearly different design.

Yes, several documented. Notable patterns include the 1925 Wreath threepence variants, 1932 brass threepence trial pieces (predating the 1937 George VI brass introduction), and various silver-content trial pieces from the 1920 fineness transition. Pattern coins trade at £1,000-15,000+ at specialist auction (Spink, Baldwin's) when they appear with full provenance. They're NOT something you find in change.

Same checks as other Victorian / Edwardian / George V silver. Weight (each denomination has a known spec). Diameter (known). Edge (milled / reeded, sharp; cast counterfeits show seams). Magnet (silver and cupronickel are non-magnetic). For coins worth £100+, third-party grading at PCGS / NGC / CGS UK is the safest authentication path. See our PCGS vs NGC vs CGS UK guide.

For coins worth under £500: eBay UK with sold-listings cross-check, or BNTA-member dealer outright purchase. For single coins worth £500+: BNTA dealer or list slabbed (PCGS / NGC / CGS UK) on eBay. For high-value rarities (1933 penny, 1932 florin in mint state, key-date sovereigns): consign to Spink, Baldwin's or London Coins. Auction-house realisations on rare-date material reliably exceed dealer outright offers by 30-100%. See our UK auction house comparison.

Different eras, different focus. George V (1910-1936) is the "transition" period — sterling-to-debased silver in 1920, end of large-portrait Victorian-style coinage, the dramatic 1933 penny absence. George VI (1937-1952) is post-war, with the silver-to-cupronickel transition in 1947 and the introduction of the brass threepence (1937 onwards). Both are mainstream pre-decimal collecting territory. George V collecting tends to focus on the silver content variations and the 1933 penny mythos; George VI collecting on the brass threepence date runs and the 1947 silver transition.