The 1844 gold half sovereign features the young head portrait of Queen Victoria as designed by William Wyon, and a crowned Victoria shield on the reverse.
The 1844 half sovereign was only the fifth half soverieign to be issued into circulation during the reign of Queen Victoria. This is because the half sovereign was only issued as a proof coin in 1839 and then neither the half or full sovereign was issued in 1840.
Early Victorian sovereigns bear the first and smallest young head portrait of the queen and have a garnished shield reverse.
See the rest of the 1844 Sovereign Collection.
Photographs shown may not be the actual coin and may differ in terms of grade, die numbers, design flaws and other minor details.
The half sovereign was first introduced in 1544 during the reign of Henry VIII. Half sovereigns continued to be produced until 1604. At this point they were discontinued (as were gold sovereigns). The first reform coinage sovereigns and half sovereigns were minted in 1817 following the Coinage Act of 1816.
The obverse features the first young head portrait of Queen Victoria facing left and wearing a double ribbon in her hair.
The inscription reads
VICTORIA DEI GRATIA
and the date (1844) appears below the portrait.
The reverse shows a crowned and garnished shield.
The inscription reads
BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID: DEF:
completing the monarch's legend, which begins on the obverse.
Metal | Gold |
Diameter | 19.3mm |
Weight / Size | Half |
Gold Weight Troy Ounces | 0.118 |
Fineness / Carat | 0.917 / 22 |
Mintage Figure | 1,127,007 |
Date | 1844 |
Spink Reference | 3,859 |
Obverse Designer | William Wyon |
Reverse Designer | Jean Baptiste Merlen |
Issuing Monarch | Victoria (1837-1901) |
Mint / Brand | The Royal Mint |
Country | United Kingdom |
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