Numistify guide
Which British Coins Are Silver? Silver Content by Year
British silver coins follow one of the simplest rules in numismatics: sterling until 1919, half silver from 1920 to 1946, and no silver in everyday coins after that. Here is the detail, coin by coin.
The short answer
British circulating coins dated 1919 or earlier are sterling silver, .925 fine — every milled silver coin from 1662 to 1919. From 1920 to 1946 the same coins were struck in .500 silver, and from 1947 the sixpence, shilling, florin and half crown were made of cupronickel, with no silver at all. Only the Maundy money kept silver, restored to sterling in 1947. Since 1997 the Royal Mint has also struck the Britannia silver bullion coin.
British silver coins by year
| Denomination | Years | Fineness | Silver (troy oz) | KM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crown | 1662–1818 | .925 | 0.8922 | — |
| Half Crown | 1663–1816 | .925 | 0.4461 | — |
| Shilling | 1663–1816 | .925 | 0.1784 | — |
| Sixpence | 1674–1816 | .925 | 0.0892 | — |
| Threepence | 1816–1920 | .925 | 0.0420 | KM-813 |
| Sixpence | 1816–1920 | .925 | 0.0841 | KM-815 |
| Shilling | 1816–1919 | .925 | 0.1682 | KM-816 |
| Half Crown | 1816–1919 | .925 | 0.4205 | KM-818.1 |
| Crown | 1818–1919 | .925 | 0.8409 | — |
| 2 Shillings | 1849–1919 | .925 | 0.3364 | — |
| Double Florin | 1887–1890 | .925 | 0.6727 | KM-763 |
| Shilling | 1920–1946 | .500 | 0.0909 | KM-833 |
| Threepence | 1920–1945 | .500 | 0.0227 | KM-813a |
| Sixpence | 1920–1946 | .500 | 0.0455 | KM-815a |
| Half Crown | 1920–1946 | .500 | 0.2273 | KM-818.2 |
| 2 Shillings | 1920–1946 | .500 | 0.1818 | KM-834 |
| Crown | 1927–1937 | .500 | 0.4546 | KM-836 |
Not every coin is listed. This table is for reference: it covers the silver coins in Numistify’s catalogue and may not include every coin, date, variety or special issue. If your coin is not here, look it up in a world coin catalogue such as Numista or the Standard Catalog of World Coins, or ask your local coin shop.
Reading the table
Fineness is the share of silver in the coin: .900 means 90% silver. Silver (troy oz) is the pure silver it contains, the figure that sets its metal value — multiply it by the day’s silver price. KM is the coin’s number in the Standard Catalog of World Coins, the quickest way to look it up. Our guide to silver and gold melt value shows the calculation.
Telling them apart
1919, 1920 and 1946 are the dates that matter. A shilling of 1919 is .925; a shilling of 1920 to 1946 is .500; a shilling of 1947 or later has no silver.
1920 is a dual year for the sixpence and threepence: both the .925 and the .500 alloy exist with that date, so a 1920 sixpence may be either.
Weights vary by reign for early milled coins, though the fineness stays at .925.
The double florin was struck for four years only, 1887 to 1890.
Bullion
The Britannia silver bullion coin was .958 fine (Britannia silver) from 1997 to 2012 and .999 from 2013. The Queen’s Beasts series of 2016–2021 was struck in .9999 silver.
| Coin | Size | Years | Fineness | Silver (troy oz) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Britannia | 1 oz | 1997–2012 | .958 | 1.0000 |
| Britannia | 1 oz | 2013– | .999 | 1.0000 |
| Britannia | 1/2 oz | 2013– | .999 | 0.5000 |
| Britannia | 1/10 oz | 2013– | .999 | 0.1000 |
| Britannia | 1/4 oz | 2013– | .999 | 0.2500 |
| Queen's Beasts | 1 oz | 2016–2021 | .9999 | 1.0000 |
What they are worth
Silver content sets a floor, not the value. A scarce date, a rare mint or a coin in fine condition can be worth far more than its metal, so check before selling any coin for its silver: look it up in a world coin catalogue such as the Standard Catalog of World Coins or the NGC World Coin Price Guide, compare auction records and eBay sold listings for the same coin in the same condition, and ask your local coin shop. Our guide to what your coin is worth walks through each step, and are old foreign coins worth anything? covers sorting a mixed lot.
Questions people ask
Are old British coins silver?
Circulating coins dated 1919 or earlier are sterling silver (.925). Coins from 1920 to 1946 are .500 silver. From 1947 the sixpence, shilling, florin and half crown were cupronickel, with no silver.
Is a 1946 shilling silver?
Yes. British shillings, sixpences, florins and half crowns dated 1920 to 1946 are .500 silver. From 1947 they contain none.
Is a 1920 sixpence silver?
Yes, but 1920 is a dual year: the sixpence and threepence of 1920 exist in both .925 and .500 silver.
What is the Britannia silver coin?
The Royal Mint’s silver bullion coin: .958 fine from 1997 to 2012 and .999 fine from 2013, in sizes from 1/10 ounce to 1 ounce.
Related guides
Silver and gold melt value — turning silver weight into a metal value.
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