Every day people ask us for coins which do not exist, including 1938 half sovereigns.
Half sovereigns were not issued in every year, and this is one date for which none were issued.
No full sovereigns were minted in 1938 either, Krugerrands were not introduced until 1967, indeed very few countries issued any gold coins in 1938, however we can suggest some alternatives.

Why Not?
This is often the next question we get asked. It would be better to ask the Royal Mint, but we can tell you that coins are only produced when they are needed. The last date of half sovereign struck by the Royal Mint for circulation was 1915, although some of the branch mints continued striking them until 1926.
It was not until 1982 that the Royal Mint started to strike and issue half sovereigns again to supply demand for bullion coins. It now seems likely that half sovereigns will continue to be issued yearly.

Proof Half Sovereigns Since 1980, the Royal Mint has issued half sovereigns in proof grade, for sale to collectors. Proofs are coins which are specially struck with a very high standard of finish. These are only issued in limited quantities, and are more expensive than ordinary bullion or circulation type coins. Obviously this is of no interest if you are looking for a 1938 half sovereign.

Alternative World Gold Coins

Year of the Tiger
The Chinese Lunar Calendar is based on a 12 year cycle, each year in the cycle is associated with a different animal.
The Perth Mint in Australia produces a series of Chinese Lunar Calendar coins, in gold and silver, starting in 1996. We do occasionally manage to buy some of the older years, although they do tend to be quite hard to source.
1938 is the Chinese lunar calendar "year of the tiger". If you can't see any 1938 gold coin you like, you may wish to look at our 1998 Year of the Tiger page.

Other Dates of Half Sovereign
If you wish to check any other dates of half sovereign, take a look at our Half Sovereigns - Which Dates Exist? page.