How to Identify the George Noble
How to identify the rare Henry VIII George Noble by its unique mounted St. George and dragon design set within a ship, and its crowned Tudor rose reverse.
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What It Is
The George noble is an extremely rare English gold coin issued briefly by Henry VIII, around 1526 to 1533, valued at 6 shillings 8 pence, half the value of the contemporary ryal. Very few genuine examples survive today, making it one of the scarcest regular English gold denominations.
Obverse Design & Inscriptions
The obverse combines two older coin traditions in an unusual way: Saint George on horseback spearing a dragon, set within a ship, rather than the king standing alone in a ship as seen on the earlier noble and ryal. This is the coin's single most recognizable and unusual design feature.
Reverse Design & Inscriptions
The reverse carries a crowned Tudor rose, sometimes shown with radiating sunburst lines, or a shield of the royal arms depending on the specific variety, with the legend TALI IN SIGNO FIDES RESIDET — "In such a sign faith stands firm," a reference to the cross associated with Saint George.
Size, Weight, Metal, and Edge
Struck in gold on a hand-hammered flan, roughly comparable in diameter to contemporary ryals and half-ryals of the period, with a plain edge typical of hammered coinage.
Mint Marks & Where to Find Them
Produced at the Tower mint in London. As with other Henry VIII gold coinage, a small privy mark appears at the start of the legends to indicate the production period.
Telling It Apart From Similar Coins
This design is unique in English coinage: do not confuse it with the later Angel, which shows the Archangel Michael slaying a dragon with no horse or ship, or with the earlier medieval noble and ryal, which show the king standing in a ship without any dragon or mounted figure.
Judging Condition & Grade
Because so few genuine examples exist, most known specimens are held in museum or major reference collections. Assessing a piece focuses on the sharpness of the horse, dragon, and ship detail, plus how complete the surrounding legend is.
Authenticity Red Flags
Given its extreme rarity and value, any example offered without a well-documented ownership history and auction record deserves careful scrutiny. Check weight and gold fineness precisely, look closely for casting seams or file marks, and compare fine design details against published reference images, since this is one of the more frequently reproduced English hammered gold rarities.
Frequently asked questions
What makes the George Noble's design so unusual?
It combines Saint George on horseback spearing a dragon with the traditional ship motif from earlier nobles, a pairing not used on any other English coin.
How is the George Noble different from the Angel coin?
The Angel shows the Archangel Michael slaying a dragon with no horse or ship, while the George Noble shows a mounted Saint George within a ship.
Why are genuine George Nobles so hard to find?
It was only issued for a short period during Henry VIII's reign and very few original examples have survived to the present day.
What should I check if offered a George Noble for sale?
Verify a documented ownership and auction history where possible, and check weight, gold color, and fine design details closely, since this rarity is a known target for reproductions.