Copyright reserved by the author, Tony Clayton
v55 25th August 2021
Two Shillings or Florin << : >> 3s, 40d (3/4) and 45d (3/9)
History of the Half Crown
Pictures of Half Crowns
Oliver Cromwell : Charles II : James II : William & Mary : William III : Anne : George I : George II : George III : George IV : William IV : Victoria : Edward VII : George V : George VI : Elizabeth II
It is stressed that the following prices are a guide to retail prices only,
and are in UK pounds. They represent what you might have to pay a dealer,
rather than what you might be able to sell them for.
I can take no personal responsibility for their accuracy, although every effort
has been made to ensure that they have been copied correctly.
The information has generally been taken from the UK monthly magazine
Coin News,
and is reproduced by the kind permission of
Token Publishing Ltd, 40 Southernhay East, Exeter, EX1 1PE
The headings F, VF, EF and Unc refer to the condition grades of the coins. A guide to evaluating grades is found on my UK Coin Values Index page.
Proof coins relatively often found are listed, but the absence of a mention does not mean that a proof of that year does not exist, as special VIP proofs were often struck for presentation to distinguished visitors.
Year F VF EF 1656 ex rare 1658 1750 2750 6250
Year F VF EF 1663 180 700 4000 1663ns 200 800 1664 250 1200 5500 1666 900 1666el 900 3500 1667/4 extremely rare 1668/4 300 1500 1669 400 1600 1669/4 275 1000 1670 150 600 2750 1670R 300 1000 1671 150 600 2600 1671/0 160 600 3200 1672b3 extremely rare 1672b4 160 550 3000 1673 160 550 2800 1673plbs extremely rare 1673pl 8000 22000 1674 160 700 1675 150 500 2400 1676 150 500 2400 1676i 150 500 2400 1677 150 500 2100 1678 220 900 1679 160 500 2200 1680 175 750 1681/0 300 1681 200 675 3000 1681ec 3750 12000 1682 170 550 3700 1683 170 550 3500 1683pl extremely rare 1684/3 350 1100 5000 ns: no obverse stops el: elephant below bust R: MRG for MAG b3: third bust b4: fourth bust plbs: plumes both sides pl: plume below bust i: inverted 1 in date ec: elephant and castle below bust
Year F VF EF 1685 230 675 4000 1686 220 650 3700 1686/5 250 750 1686v/s 225 750 1687b1 220 675 3500 1687/6 300 850 1687b2 200 600 3400 1688 200 600 3200 v/s: V over S in JACOBVS b1: first bust (Ribbons point down) b2: second bust (Ribbons point up)
Year F VF EF 1689s1 120 350 1800 1689np 120 350 1800 1689fra 170 600 2200 1689ns 120 550 2000 1689s2 120 400 1800 1689np 130 400 1850 1690 180 700 3000 1690G 600 1600 6000 1691 160 500 2350 1692 160 500 2350 1693 170 500 2500 1693i 220 800 3250
s1: first shield (lions & fleur de lys separate)
s2: second shield (lions & fleur de lys conjoined)
fra: FRA for FR on reverse
ns: no stops on obverse
np: no pearls in crown on reverse
G: GRETIA instead of GRATIA
i: 3 over inverted 3, or just inverted 3 (scarcer)
Year F VF EF
1696le 80 260 1250
1696leB 80 270 1400
1696leC 90 400 1500
1696leE 120 500 1700
1696leN 100 500 1700
1696ley 90 400 2200
1696lo 90 325 1700
1696loC 110 500 1600
1696loE 100 500 1600
1696loN 170 700 2850
1696so 70 300 1200
1696soB 100 350 1500
1696soC 100 350 1700
1696soE 120 600 2400
1696soN 110 500 2000
1696soy 100 600 2000
1696b2 one known
1697 80 325 1400
1697B 90 320 1650
1697C 90 375 1800
1697E 100 375 1800
1697N 100 375 1800
1697y 90 375 1900
1698 100 375 1750
1698/7 ex.rare
1699 160 500 3500
1700 140 400 2200
1701 150 450 2300
1701ns 160 650
1701ec 2500 in fair condition
1701pl 275 800 4000
l: large (wide) shields
s: small (narrow) shields
e: early harp (top left
higher than top right)
o: ordinary harp (top left
level with top right)
b2: second bust
B: Bristol mint
C: Chester mint
E: Exeter mint
N: Norwich mint
y: York Mint
ns: no stops on reverse
ec: elephant & castle below bust
pl: plumes on reverse
Year F VF EF 1703 700 2500 1703V 150 500 1800 1704pl 200 600 2200 1705pl 180 700 2200 1706rp 100 400 1800 1707rp 90 325 1400 1707 90 240 1100 1707E 90 240 1100 1708 100 280 1250 1708E 100 280 1400 1708pl 110 300 1600 1709 90 300 1200 1709E 275 1250 1710rp 90 370 1450 1712rp 90 370 1450 1713 90 370 1450 1713rp 90 370 1350 1714rp 90 370 1350 1714/3 125 500 V: VIGO pl: plumes rp: roses & plumes E: Edinburgh mint
Year F VF EF 1715rp 475 950 3300 1717rp 475 1000 3500 1720rp 470 1000 3500 1720/17 450 1000 3400 1723SSC 450 1000 3250 1726rp 5000 15000 rp: roses & plumes SSC: SSC on reverse
Year F VF EF 1731 proof 10000 1731rp 160 450 2000 1732rp 160 450 2000 1734rp 160 450 2100 1735rp 160 450 2100 1736rp 160 450 2000 1739r 150 450 1950 1741/30 160 600 1741r 150 450 1900 1743r 85 225 1200 1745r 85 225 1200 1745L 80 200 700 1746L 80 200 700 1746L/5 90 275 900 1746 proof 6500 1750 225 600 2800 1751 250 750 3000 rp: roses & plumes r: roses L: LIMA below bust
Year F VF EF Unc 1816 28 80 275 550 1817lh 28 80 275 550 1817sh 28 80 275 525 1818 28 80 275 525 1819/8 ex. rare 1819 28 80 275 550 1820 50 140 500 1000 lh: large head sh: small head
Year F VF EF Unc 1820 30 80 400 750 1821 30 80 400 750 1821 proof 4500 1823r1 1300 4250 1823r2 30 80 350 675 1824r2 35 90 300 750 1824r3 extremely rare 1825 30 80 200 500 1826 30 80 200 500 1826 proof 2500 1828 110 300 850 2500 1829 75 175 550 1100
r1: reverse 1 - garnished (fancy) shield, thistle & shamrock on either side, date under.
r2: reverse 2 - straight sided shield in garter, date under.
r3: reverse 3 - shield with crest, date under King's head
n.b. 1821 coins come with two almost identical reverses (1a and 1b). The second type (1b) is slightly more valuable than shown above.
Year F VF EF Unc 1831 extremely rare 1831 proof 4000 1834bWW 35 85 375 1000 1834sWW 35 85 375 1000 1835 40 100 375 1050 1836 35 75 375 1000 1836/5 60 125 650 1837 50 170 750 1600 bWW: WW in blocks sWW: WW in script
Year F VF EF Unc 1839 1300 4250 11000 1839 proof 6500 1840 60 200 800 2200 1841 1000 2000 4500 8000 1842 55 150 700 1700 1843 150 450 1300 4000 1844 50 110 550 1750 1845 50 110 550 1750 1845/3 extremely rare 1846 55 140 600 1800 1848 175 450 1650 5000 1848/6 150 400 1250 3500 1848/7 extremely rare 1849ld 70 160 600 2200 1849/7 extremely rare 1849sd 90 220 850 2400 1850 70 240 900 2500 1853 proof 7500 1862 proof 7500 1864 proof 7500 1874 25 70 340 750 1875 25 70 340 700 1876 30 80 340 800 1876/5 35 80 280 800 1876/6 75 150 450 1877 25 70 250 700 1878 25 70 250 700 1879 35 90 300 900 1880 25 70 250 650 1881 25 70 250 600 1882 30 75 270 650 1883 25 70 250 550 1884 25 70 250 550 1885 25 70 250 550 1886 25 70 250 550 1887y 25 65 275 600 ld: large date sd: small date
Proofs are known for many dates between 1874 and 1887
Jubilee Head
Year F VF EF Unc 1887j 10 16 32 80 1887j proof 675 1888 12 25 60 220 1889 10 20 55 175 1890 12 25 80 220 1891 12 25 80 220 1892 12 25 80 240Old Head
Year F VF EF Unc 1893 12 25 60 120 1893 proof 1200 1894 16 40 100 275 1895 14 35 80 240 1896 12 22 65 220 1897 12 22 65 230 1898 12 22 65 230 1899 12 22 65 230 1900 12 22 65 230 1901 12 22 65 230
Year F VF EF Unc 1902 12 30 80 170 1902 proof 275 1903 175 550 2200 4500 1904 60 225 500 1500 1905 500 1400 5000 9000 1906 12 50 200 900 1907 12 50 200 900 1908 20 90 400 1400 1909 12 60 350 900 1910 12 45 130 500
Type One: .925 Fine silver
Year F VF EF Unc 1911 15 35 80 250 1911 proof 375 1912 12 25 50 200 1913 12 28 75 220 1914 7 12 40 70 1915 7 12 35 65 1916 7 12 35 65 1917 8 15 45 100 1918 7 12 35 70 1919 7 15 45 100 1919 7 15 45 100Type Two: .500 Fine silver
Year F VF EF Unc 1920 4 8 22 70 1921 4 8 30 65 1922 5 9 24 70 1923 6 8 20 45 1924 15 35 90 230 1925 30 75 300 1000 1926 12 28 50 190Type Three: Modified Effigy
Year F VF EF Unc 1926me 6 14 40 110 1927 6 12 35 75 me: modified effigyType Four: New design
Year F VF EF Unc 1927 proof 100 1928 5 8 20 35 1929 5 8 20 35 1930 15 60 325 900 1931 5 8 20 35 1932 6 10 25 90 1933 5 8 20 40 1934 7 12 65 200 1935 5 8 18 30 1936 5 8 18 20
Rare proofs dated 1928 to 1936 are known
Type 1: Silver
Year F VF EF Unc 1937 6 9 14 1937 proof 25 1938 5 6 15 25 1939 5 6 9 12 1940 5 6 9 12 1941 5 6 9 12 1942 5 6 9 10 1943 5 6 9 10 1944 5 6 9 10 1945 5 6 9 10 1946 5 6 9 10Type 2: Cupronickel
1947 1 2 4 1948 1 2 4Type 3: IND IMP removed
1949 1 2 6 1950 1 2 6 1950 proof 35 1951 1 2 6 1951 proof 10 1952 unique
Rare proofs for some dates between 1938 and 1949 are known.
Type One: BRITT OMN
Year F VF EF Unc 1953 1 3 1953 proof 8Type Two: No BRITT OMN
1954 1 6 40 1955 1 6 1956 1 6 1957 1 6 1958 1 6 35 1959 1 9 35 1960 1 3 1961 2 1962 1 2 1963 1 1964 2 1965 1 1966 1 1967 1 1970 proof 8
Rare proofs for all dates from 1954 to 1967 are known. 1961 coins struck using polished blanks are valued about 50% more.
Extracted from Coin News July 2021
The lack of a value for a grade means either that the coin is rarely found in that grade or that its value is less than one pound.
Oliver Cromwell : Charles II : James II : William & Mary : William III : Anne : George I : George II : George III : George IV : William IV : Victoria : Edward VII : George V : George VI : Elizabeth II
Very worn coins of Victoria and later may be worth no more than bullion value.
On 21st August 2021 silver bullion was $23.88 per Troy oz. The halfcrown prior to 1920 contains 0.4205 oz of silver, and this gives a bullion value of about £7.32 or US$10.04.
Halfcrowns from the period 1920 to 1946 contain 0.2273 oz of silver and thus have a bullion value of £3.96 or US$5.43.
Please note that the silver price and exchange rates fluctuate. Current bullion values may be available on my Bullion Value page.
Two Shillings or Florin << :
>> 3s, 40d (3/4) and 45d (3/9)
Values Index
History of the Half Crown
Main History Index
Pictures of Thirty Pence/Half Crown
Pictures Index
Values of Coins of the UK - 15 - Thirty Pence
Copyright reserved by the author, Tony Clayton
v55 25th August 2021