Articles & Shows

William IV Sovereigns: Coins From a King Who Wasn’t Meant to Rule

William IV Sovereigns: Coins From a King Who Wasn’t Meant to Rule

By Levi Donohoe for CoinWeek …..
 

Since the reintroduction of the British gold sovereign in 1817, every king or queen in power has seen their effigy displayed on the gold sovereign coin struck by The Royal Mint. The coins functioned as currency at the time and to this day still hold legal tender status in Great Britain.

Some gold sovereign designs hold a significant premium in today’s market, making them worth multiples of their weight in gold. Such an example is the sovereign struck between 1831 and 1837 featuring King William IV.

The William IV sovereign has an interesting history. This King endured a relatively short reign of just seven years from 1830 until he died in 1837. This reduces the volume of sovereigns available featuring William and naturally, this increases their value as collectors seek challenging types to add to their collection.

To put this short mintage period into context, the sovereign production years of monarchs at the time are as follows:

  • George III: 1817 – 1820 (three years)
  • George IV: 1821 – 1830 (nine years)
  • William IV: 1831 – 1837 (six years)
  • Victoria: 1838 – 1901 (63 years)

The story surrounding William IV’s reign is intriguing because he was never expected to inherit the throne from his father George III as William IV was George III’s third son. His older brothers, George IV and Frederick, were ahead of him in the line of succession.

Circumstances favored William IV’s rise to power as his eldest brother George IV did not leave any legitimate heirs and Frederick died childless. Had either of his older brothers left an heir, William IV would never have become King.

The One-Year Type Half Sovereign

1834 William IV Half Sovereign. Image: Stack’s Bowers/CoinWeek.

The half sovereign during William IV’s period was struck in 1835 through to 1837, but a little-known special 1834 half sovereign was struck by The Royal Mint, which changed the specifications of the coin. Whilst the 1834 half sovereign contains the same amount of gold as any other year, the 1834 half sovereign saw its diameter reduced from the standard 19.3 mm to 17.9 mm. The purpose of this change was to help distinguish it from the sixpence, which was a similar size. The half sovereign was inconveniently small and so the standard specifications were restored the following year. This makes the 1834 a special and significant numismatic piece that is not universally known by collectors.

Today’s Market for the William IV Sovereign

As Great Britain was under a gold standard during the period, many surviving William IV sovereigns are in circulated condition, with the detail on the King’s hair and ear often partially eroded. Many raw coins are seen with problems such as rim repairs where they were previously mounted. It is common to see raw sovereigns with evidence of cleaning that, while it may have embellished their appearance in jewelry shop windows at the time, has significantly reduced their premium in the modern market.

William IV Sovereign. Image: Heritage Auctions/CoinWeek.
William IV Sovereign. Image: Heritage Auctions/CoinWeek.

Mint State examples trade at significant premiums with an MS65 selling for just over $40,000 at Heritage Auctions in 2021, showing how highly contested this type is in an uncirculated state. Almost uncirculated grades trade at several multiples of the coin’s intrinsic value and are very popular as an affordable option in the British market for investors who do not want to pay the high premiums for mint state examples but still want to enjoy a coin with most of its original detail intact.

The William IV sovereign is the last of the high-premium numismatic rarities issued before the reign of Queen Victoria, which saw high mintages over a protracted period. Victoria was William IV’s niece who inherited the throne as William’s direct legitimate heirs with his wife Queen Adelaide did not live into adulthood.

Proof Sovereigns

For the elite British gold coin collector, The Royal Mint issued Proof versions of the sovereign during the first year of production. Official mintage figures are lost to history, but only 77 have been reported by NGC and PCGS, showing how rare these coins are.

A Proof double sovereign was struck in 1831, of which 69 have been reported by NGC and PCGS. Intriguingly, no bullion editions of the double sovereign are known. No official explanation as to why the Proof versions were made, but it was customary for low-mintage Proof finishes to be struck as diplomatic gifts. Others were reserved for national institutions such as museums.

The William IV gold sovereign remains a highly sought-after type in the British coin market and has seen its premium grow over recent years. Pre-Victorian sovereigns remain the most desired British gold coins, with William IV sovereigns being as attractive as any other from this period.

* * *

The post William IV Sovereigns: Coins From a King Who Wasn’t Meant to Rule appeared first on CoinWeek: Rare Coin, Currency, and Bullion News for Collectors.

One thought on “William IV Sovereigns: Coins From a King Who Wasn’t Meant to Rule

  1. swingsetter says:

    1. **A numismatic curveball!** William IV’s unexpected reign creates a unique collecting opportunity for sovereign enthusiasts.

    2. **The accidental king’s golden legacy.** The scarcity of William IV sovereigns adds another layer of intrigue to these historic coins.

    3. **Short reign, big impact.** William IV’s brief time on the throne has had a lasting effect on the numismatic landscape.

    4. **Beyond gold, a story unfolds.** The William IV sovereign isn’t just precious metal; it’s a tangible piece of a fascinating royal narrative.

    5. **A royal rarity in your hand.** Owning a William IV sovereign is holding a piece of British history shaped by unexpected circumstances.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *