DENOMINATIONS.--_Silver._ Crown, Half-crown, Shilling, Sixpence,
Fourpence, Threepence, Twopence, Penny. _Gold._ Five-sovereign,
Double-sovereign, Sovereign, Half-sovereign. _Copper._ Penny,
Halfpenny, Farthing.
OBVERSE.--_Type._ Sinister large bust profile, laureated, undraped.
In 1826 the bust differs, the neck and head are much narrower in
proportion, and it is not laureated. These latter coins are the
productions of Mr. Wyon, from the bust by Chantrey; the former ones
are Pistrucci’s.
_Legend._ On the former, GEORGIVS IIII D. G. BRITANNIAR. F. D. Latter,
GEORGIVS IV DEI GRATIA.
REVERSE.--_Type._ Crown, St. George on horseback, undraped, helmeted,
loose vest flying behind, in his right hand a dagger, his left holding
the reins; under the horse, a dragon, a broken lance lying beside,
no legend, date in exergue, edge, DECUS, etc. This coin is of most
beautiful workmanship. Half-crown, early, royal arms; on some in plain
square shield, crowned, encircled by the garter, with motto, HONI,
etc., or ornamented shield, crowned, a rose beneath, and a thistle on
one side, and on the other a shamrock, no legend; date on the former,
with ANNO.; later, royal shield, beautifully mantled.
Early, Shilling and Sixpence as the Half-crowns; later, royal crown and
crest, a lion passant-guardant, crowned; beneath is the rose, thistle
and shamrock. This is commonly known as the “lion shilling.”
_Legend._ Later, BRITANNIARVM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR.
_Gold._ Five-pound-piece, Double-sovereign, Sovereign, and
Half-sovereign, bust as before; reverse, George and dragon; or royal
shield.
_Copper._ Pennies, Halfpennies, and Farthings; early, bust profile,
laureated, draped or undraped; Pence and Halfpence, GEORGIVS IV DG
REX.; Farthings, GEORGIVS IIII DEI GRATIA; Pence and Halfpence; Irish,
harp, crowned, HIBERNIA. and date; Farthing, Britannia seated on a
rock, facing the right, helmeted, in her left hand the trident, in her
right, which rests on the shield, an olive branch, lion at her feet,
no water in distance, date in exergue; later, Pence, Halfpence, and
Farthings, Britannia seated helmeted, left hand the trident, right
resting on shield, no olive branch, nor lion, beneath the figure, the
rose, thistle, and shamrock, BRITANNIAR REX FID. DEF. A Half-farthing
for Ceylon, and a one third of a Farthing, for Malta, were struck in
1827-8, and are rare.