Short answer
GoldPaid buys gold half sovereigns by post UK-wide: 3.994g gross weight, 22ct (916 fineness), 3.66 grams of fine gold per coin, every monarch from George III's 1817 issue to the current Charles III series. Bullion value calculated from the day's gold fix; rare dates and proof issues paid at numismatic value above. Free prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label, bank payment on acceptance.
What a half sovereign contains
The British half sovereign has been struck to the same technical specification since 1817 (with a hiatus between 1937 and 1980 when production paused for general circulation). Each half sovereign is exactly half of a full sovereign: 3.994 grams gross weight, 22ct (916) gold, giving 3.66 grams of pure gold per coin or 0.1177 of a troy ounce.
The diameter is 19.3mm and the thickness is just over 1mm. Half sovereigns are small enough that several can be posted in a single small jiffy bag with no weight concerns; the Royal Mail Special Delivery cover handles parcels of forty or more half sovereigns comfortably within standard limits.
Date ranges and the rare-issue question
Half sovereigns were minted under every monarch from George III to Elizabeth II, with the current Charles III series resuming in 2023. Common-date Victorian, Edward VII and George V half sovereigns are valued at bullion. Rare dates do exist within those reigns, particularly certain branch-mint issues from Australia and South Africa.
The valuable half-sovereign categories are: pre-1837 George III, George IV and William IV issues (all command premium above bullion due to age and scarcity); Edward VIII patterns (never officially issued, exceptionally rare); certain Victorian branch-mint dates; and Royal Mint proof issues in their original cases.
Why half sovereigns are particularly common in UK households
Half sovereigns were a standard general-circulation gold coin in the UK until 1914 and remained in circulation as savings instruments through into the 1930s. A typical UK family box of inherited coins from the early twentieth century frequently contains several half sovereigns, often from a relative's twentieth-birthday gift or a wedding present from a parent.
The bullion value of even a single common-date Victorian half sovereign is now several times its 1900 purchase price (in real-money terms). A box of ten or twenty inherited half sovereigns can be a meaningful sum that no one in the household has thought to value recently.
Posting half sovereigns and Royal Mail cover
Half sovereigns are small and light. A parcel of twenty half sovereigns weighs about 80 grams; the cover required (twenty times the per-coin bullion figure) sits comfortably within the standard £2,500 Special Delivery cover at recent rates. For larger parcels, message first.
Each coin should be wrapped individually in tissue or a small coin envelope to prevent rim damage in transit. Half sovereigns are often kept in coin tubes; the tube can travel as it is, with extra padding around it in the outer parcel.
The process, step by step
- Get in touch and show us. A WhatsApp photo of your half sovereign coins is all we need to give you an honest quick indicative figure before anything is posted.
- Get your free label. We send a prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery label, fully tracked. If you have no printer, a QR code for the counter does the same job.
- Send it at your own pace. Wrap it in any padded envelope and hand it in at a Post Office whenever it suits you.
- See the written offer. We weigh and XRF-assay every item, then send an itemised breakdown showing exactly how the figure was reached.
- Decide. Say yes and the money is sent by Faster Payments. Say no and your items come straight back, free and insured.
Cover in transit
Royal Mail Special Delivery cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used. The prepaid label is Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed: full tracking, a signature on delivery, arranged with that cover per parcel. Higher-value items are no problem, but please message us first so the cover and the packing approach match the value. Postage and insurance explains it fully.
No obligation, ever
You are free to walk away at any point before you accept. Decline the offer and everything is repacked and returned to you free of charge, fully tracked and insured. There is no assessment fee and no sales pressure afterwards. The detail is on what happens if I decline the offer.
Payment, once you accept
When you say yes to the written offer, GoldPaid pays by Faster Payments bank transfer to your nominated account. You give those details only at the point you accept, never as a condition of getting an offer.
Why this is a calmer way to sell
Three things make GoldPaid a steadier route than a counter sale. You see a measured valuation in writing, not a verbal estimate. You decide at home, with nobody waiting. And if you decline, the return is free, tracked and insured, so obtaining the valuation costs you nothing.
Common questions
Are half sovereigns worth less per gram than full sovereigns?
No. The same per-gram fine-gold rate applies. Half sovereigns are exactly half of a full sovereign by every dimension; the per-coin price is half, the per-gram rate is the same.
Do you buy half sovereigns from Australian or South African branch mints?
Yes. Branch-mint half sovereigns (Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Pretoria mintmarks) are bought at bullion or above, depending on the date and scarcity.
Should I sort my half sovereigns by date before posting?
You do not need to. Each coin is identified by year and mint mark on arrival, photographed and recorded against your offer.
Are pre-1837 half sovereigns worth more than later ones?
Generally yes. Half sovereigns of George III, George IV and William IV are scarce enough to command premium above bullion; the exact uplift depends on date and condition.
What if I am unsure how many half sovereigns I have or whether they are real?
Photograph the coins on WhatsApp first. We can identify them from a clear photo of obverse and reverse before you commit to posting anything.