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A Half-Sovereign coin started as a denomination of the old redundant predecimal British currency system and dates back to the time of Henry VIII, but is still being minted today. The modern Half-Sovereign being reintroduced into the currency in 1817.
The Half-Sovereign was not used much outside Britain other than by Britain's colonies prior to them having their own currencies, such as Australia, New Zealand and others.
The name "Sovereign" comes from the magnificent appearance and size of the coin, and a Half-Sovereign, as the name suggests, is half as valuable (and almost as magnificent).
As with the Sovereign, the Half-Sovereign was made from gold of varying weight and purity over the years, until the Great Recoinage Law of 1816 when the gold content was fixed to 3.7 grams, at which it currently remains.
A Half-Sovereign coin represented Half a Pound or 10 Shillings or 120 Pennies in the old currency.
The Half-Sovereign coin has not had great continuity of minting and was not minted from 1938 until 1979 inclusive. At Britains conversion to decimal currency in February, 1971, the Half-Sovereign, although not being minted at the time, remained at Half a Pound, or 50 Pence in the new currency.
Current Half-Sovereigns weigh in at 3.99 grams, have a diameter of 19.30 mm, fineness is 22 carat or 91.67% gold, and the gold content is 3.7 grams.
These days, the Half-Sovereign is usually minted as a Bullion or Proof coin only and is substantially more valuable than its nominal or face value.
From a coin collectors perspective, a Half-Sovereign coin, depending on the year, condition and method of minting, could be worth anything from a few Pounds to several thousand of Pounds GBP.
What else can I help you with?
What is the value of a 1981 half sovereign?
There were no 1981 British Half-Sovereign minted.
What is the value of a 1974 British Half-Sovereign?
There was no British 1974 Half-Sovereign minted. The first decimal British Half-Sovereign was minted in 1980.
What do the letters DS represent on a gold or Half-Sovereign?
The letters DS do not appear on a Half-Sovereign.
When was Half sovereign - British coin - created?
Half sovereign - British coin - was created in 1544.
What is the value of a 1919 half sovereign?
The Royal Mint did not produce a 1919 Half-Sovereign coin.
What is the value of a 1963 British Half-Sovereign?
There were no British Half-Sovereign coins minted from 1938 to 1979 inclusive
What is the value of a 1958 British Half-Sovereign?
There were no British Half-Sovereign coins minted from 1938 to 1979 inclusive
What is the value of a 1943 British Half-Sovereign?
There were no British Half-Sovereign coins minted from 1938 to 1979 inclusive
What is the value of a 1964 British Half-Sovereign?
There were no British Half-Sovereign coins minted from 1938 to 1979 inclusive.
What is the physical size of a 1908 British Half-Sovereign?
The British 22 carat gold Half-Sovereign coin is ~1.02mm thick.
What gold is Queen Victoria 1857 coin?
Your coin is either a Sovereign (22.05mm) or a Half-Sovereign (19.3mm). All Sovereigns and Half-Sovereign coins are made from 22 carat gold.
How can you visibly see the difference between a full Sovereign coin and a Half-Sovereign coin?
The Sovereign and Half-Sovereign have been minted for hundreds of years, but since 1817, the Sovereign and Half-Sovereign have been minted to standard specifications and are almost identical in appearance, except for size. The Sovereign has a diameter of 22.05 mm. The Half-Sovereign has a diameter of 19.30 mm. The Sovereign at 7.9881 grams is about twice as heavy as a Half-Sovereign at 3.99 grams.
