1731 George II Silver Half Crown

Buy this high grade 1731 George II Half Crown. Struck in sterling silver, 0.925 fineness. This historic circulation coin has been graded by our expert numismatist to RgVF/gVF. 

This British coin is the QVINTO version, s.3692.

George II, King of Great Britain and Ireland, reigned from 11 June 1727 until his death on 25 October 1760.  George II was the second Hanoverian monarch to reign over the British. His relationship with his father George I was fraught with tension. George I was not a particularly popular king, he preferred his native Hanover and spoke with a heavy German accent. In contrast, George II spoke fluent English and personally lead his British troops into Battle at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743.

George II halfcrowns were issued from 1731 to 1751.

There were two different obverse designs, one having a younger portrait, the second type with a more mature portrait. There was only one major reverse design, crowned cruciform shields, but provenance marks were used to denote the origin of the silver.

The edge bears the legend DECUS ET TUTAMEN ANNO REGNI (Followed by the regnal year QVINTO in Latin). This translates to 'an ornament and a safeguard'.

Our numismatist has used some numismatic licence by grading the obverse of the halfcrown RgVF - really good Very Fine. Lawrence Chard, is our expert numismatist with over 50 years experience. He felt that whilst the obverse does not meet the expectations of the aEF grade, it was better than the gVF.

The obverse features the first head of King George II, laureate and draped bust facing left, with a lion mask at the shoulder, and the legend GEORGIUS II DEI GRATIA.

Four crowned cruciform shields with three lions or leopards and a rampant lion in the first, three fleurs de lys in the second, a harp in the third, and the Hanoverian arms in the fourth consisting of three sections, two lions passant, a lion rampant in a semée of hearts, and a horse courant (running), and in a central escutcheon, the crown of Charlemagne. The legend (inscription) reads M B F ET H REX F D B ET L D S R I A T ET E which translates to 'By the Grace of God, King of Great Britain France & Ireland, Defender of The Faith, Duke of Brunswick & Luneburg, High Treasurer and Elector of the Holy Roman Empire'.

The provenance marks shown on the reverse indicate the source of the silver used for the coins. These are the symbols between the angles of the shields:-

• Roses and Plumes
  In alternate angles, denoting silver from the "Company for Smelting Down Lead with Pit Coale and Sea Coale", mined in Wales (represented by the Plumes) and the West Country of England (represented by the Roses)