Live Metal Prices Last updated: Thu Mar 12 2026 23:15:02 GMT+0100 (British Summer Time)
Au	£122.56	£3,474.58	£3,812.11
Ag	£2.02	£57.39	£62.97
Pt	£51.65	£1,464.35	£1,606.60
Pd	£38.77	£1,099.12	£1,205.89

Free shipping on all UK orders

Sell today for same day payments

All coins quality checked/authenticated

2026 Jean Baptiste Merlen Shields Silver Two Coin Set

* These images show the type of coin you will receive, not the exact item

Product Gallery

2026 Jean Baptiste Merlen Shields Silver Two Coin Set 2oz

2026 Jean Baptiste Merlen Shields Silver Two Coin Set Halfcrown

Buy a Merlen Shield Silver Set

Silver proof historic collectors set, celebrating the work of Jean Baptiste Merlen (1769-1850). This French engraver's designs were a mainstay on British coinage in the early 19th century and survive today on Maundy Money. Perhaps the most famous of Merlen's designs are the shields of royal arms, draped with ermine mantles, that he created for the 1831 Crown and the Halfcrowns issued in the reign of King William IV. This premium set includes a real example of an 1834 Halfcrown, paired with a remastered modern version of Merlen's William IV Crown. The latter has been released as part of the Royal Mint's landmark Great Engravers collection and is struck in solid 999 silver with a proof finish. Together, these two coins offer a fitting tribute to the work of an underappreciated artist.

Track Product

Description Specification Summary William IV Crowns

Silver Merlen Shield Set

This two-coin set from The Royal Mint includes a modern silver proof coin, paired with a historic British Halfcrown.

Jean Baptiste Merlen (1769-1850)

Jean Baptiste Merlen was a French émigré engraver who worked at The Royal Mint in the early nineteenth century, where he executed designs for British coinage from the reign of King George IV through that of Queen Victoria.

The 1834 William IV Halfcrown

Among Merlen's most famous works is the reverse he created for Crowns and Halfcrowns of King William IV, which displays the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom surmounted by a crown and draped with an ermine mantle.

The Great Engravers Series

In 2026, The Royal Mint authorised the release of a remastered version of Merlen's design for the very rare 1831 Crown as part of their prestigious Great Engravers collection. This set includes the two-ounce silver edition.

Limited Edition Collectable

Just 100 of these two-coin silver collectors' sets have been assembled by The Royal Mint, supplied in a black presentation case, complete with a detailed information booklet and a numbered certificate of authenticity.

Who Was Jean Baptiste Merlen?

Jean Baptiste Merlen (1769-1850) was a distinguished 19th-century engraver and medallist whose refined reverse designs shaped some of Britain's most admired coinage. He began his career at the Paris Mint during the reign of Napoleon Bonaparte. After Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, Merlen sought new opportunities and, in 1820, joined the Royal Mint as assistant to Benedetto Pistrucci.

Merlen remained at the Mint until 1844, specialising in intricate heraldic reverses. His work appeared on the coinage of George IV, William IV and Queen Victoria. Among his most enduring designs are the crowned wreaths used on Maundy Money and the shield-and-wreath motif of early Victorian Sovereigns. However, it is his 1831 Crown reverse that is regarded as a masterpiece of numismatic art.

The 1831 Crown Of William IV

The 1831 Crown features the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom, with the arms of Hanover at the centre, surmounted by a crown and encircled by a collar, all draped in an ermine mantle. The reverse bears the date' ANNO 1831', while the obverse shows an uncrowned portrait of King William IV by William Wyon, accompanied by the Latin legend 'GULIELMUS IIII D: G: BRITANNIAR: REX F: D:'.

Struck only in proof for the year of William IV's coronation, the 1831 Crown was never issued for circulation. Very few pieces were produced, making it one of the great rarities of the silver Crown series. Although a similar design appeared on the more common Halfcrown, the larger format of the 1831 Crown allowed Merlen's heraldic composition to achieve exceptional depth and clarity.

The Great Engravers Collection

In 2026, The Royal Mint revived Merlen's mantled shield for its Great Engravers series, placing it alongside celebrated works such as Pistrucci's Waterloo Medal and Thomas Simon's Petition Crown. For the remastered coin, the historic reverse is paired with the definitive portrait of King Charles III by Martin Jennings and bears the new inscription 'INSIGNIA GULIELMI IV BRITANNIAE REGIS'.

Issued in a range of gold and silver proof formats, these coins continue the Mint's tradition of reinterpreting Britain's greatest numismatic designs for modern collectors. All 2026 William IV Crowns are available in very limited numbers, and with demand still high for earlier releases in the Great Engravers series, these coins are not to be missed.