Every day people ask us for coins which do not exist, including 1978 half sovereigns.Half sovereigns were not issued in every year, and this is one date for which none were issued.

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 1978 half sovereign.

Alternatives We are able to suggest a few alternatives. We hope you find this information useful.

1978 Sovereigns
The good news is that full sovereigns were issued in 1978, in an ordinary uncirculated version. We have details of these on our Gold Sovereigns website.

Canadian $100 Gold Commemorative
From 1976 onwards, Canada has issued a series of proof gold commemorative one hundred dollar coins, we occasionally have some in stock.

Manx Half Sovereigns or Other Manx Gold Coins
The Isle of Man issued half sovereigns dated 1978, but only 1,250 pieces in the proof version. You could take a look at our Isle of Man pages.

Krugerrands
One ounce Krugerrands were issued in 1978, so we may have them available. Take a look at our Krugerrands For Sale page, or better still at our Krugerrands by Date page.
The fractional sizes of Krugerrand, half ounce, quarter ounce and tenth ounce were not introduced until 1980.

San Marino San Marino was one of the few countries to issue gold coins in 1978. These range from a 1 Scudo, through 2, 5 and 10 Scudi. All four denominations carry similar designs, and all are attractive and scarce.

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.