1828 George IV Bare Head Gold Half Sovereign

An 1828 Half Sovereign gold coin featuring King George IV.

You will receive the actual coin pictured - please point to the image to see more detail..

Like his father, there were two distinctive heads for George IV coins - the Laurel (Wreath) Head and the Bare Head. The obverse portrait of King George features the bare head of a tousle-haired George, as designed by J.B. Merlen.

The reverse has the Ensigns Armorial of the United Kingdom in an ornate shield, surmounted by the Royal Crown. The centre section of the shield shows the Hanoverian arms, surmounted by a small crown. The coin's Latin text reads "GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA" , "BRITANNIARUM REX FID:DEF" - roughly translated as George IV, By the Grace of God - King of Britain..

George was Prince Regent from 1811 until 1820 and his father's death. King George III's mental health declined steadily during the latter years of his reign, but it is believed medical malpractice and mercury poisoning was the cause. George IV took over in 1820 and ruled for 10 years, but he was considered a national liability and a poor king.

Historian John Raymond had this to say of the hapless royal in History Today back in 1962:.