Winning Set Details

2024/25 Best Presented Set

72993 Points

George III - Charles III, Proof Half Sovereign Type Set. 1817 to Date

By Hades

The English and then later British half sovereign was first introduced in 1544 under the reign of Henry VIII. After 1604 the half sovereign was discontinued until its re-introduction in 1817 following a major revision of the British Coinage under the reign of George III. “At first it was intended to re-introduce the 21-shilling guinea but it was found that a very general wish prevailed among the public in favour of a coinage of gold pieces of the value of 20 Shillings and 10 Shillings…’ Hence a new 20-shilling coin was born and given the old name of Sovereign.” Since 1817 the half sovereign and full sovereign are regarded as “Modern Half Sovereigns” or “Modern Sovereigns” The half sovereign has a nominal value of half a pound sterling or ten shillings. It is exactly half the weight and has half the gold content of its larger 'brother' the sovereign. Modern half proof sovereigns are a greater rarity, the earlier coins were only issued as part of a very limited mintage coronation sets or as a “Proof of Record”, created by the Royal Mint for VIP collectors and Royalty and not intended for general circulation. All modern half sovereigns, have exactly the same dimensions, weight and gold content. This being 19.30mm in diameter and thickness of circ 1mm and a weight of 3.99grams. A purity of 22 carat (91.76%), meaning that 3.6575 grams (0.1176 troy ounces) of gold is alloyed with copper. In 1926 the final bullion (circulation) issue half sovereigns were issued. Since then these beautiful coins, in bullion or proof are only issued for gold ‘stacking’ or coin collectors and their value exceed their face value by many multiples yet still are free from Capital Gains Tax making them a tax efficient method of investing. I am very proud to have built this proof type set and it represents the jewel in the crown of my coin collection and I will in time try to upgrade the coins in the set when possible. I would also like to acknowledge TMS Coins, who have an outstanding collection of many coins in high grade and have inspired me in my collecting Read more...

George III - Charles III, Proof Half Sovereign Type Set. 1817 to Date

By Hades

Owner Comments:

Gallery

NGC Expert Comments:

Hades has taken on a bold and beautiful challenge—assembling a complete proof type set of half sovereigns from the coin’s reintroduction in 1817 under George III through the reign of Charles III today. The set begins with a thoughtful introduction, and every coin is illustrated and annotated with insightful notes about design details, historical context, references, and condition. The early issues are impressively high grade for their age, and the modern pieces are uniformly PF70 Ultra Cameo. This is no casual effort. Hades’ passion for the half sovereign shines on every page, making this both a presentation and a personal journey worthy of distinction.

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