Half Sovereigns from a coronation year – particularly those struck in London – are highly desirable and this Sovereign dates from 1911. On 22 June that year, George V’s coronation took place in Westminster Abbey and it was one of the last events to have a gathering of Europe’s nobility in attendance before the outbreak of the First World War.

The Sovereign features Bertram Mackennal’s portrait of George V on the obverse and Benedetto Pistrucci’s iconic St George and the dragon on the reverse. This coin is amongst the last circulating Sovereigns struck in London before the outbreak of the First World War, which ended their production.