The half sovereign is an English and later, British gold coin with a nominal value of half a pound sterling, or ten shillings. It is half the weight (and has half the gold content) of its counterpart 'full' sovereign coin. The half sovereign was first introduced in 1544 under Henry VIII. After 1604, the issue of half sovereigns, along with sovereigns, was discontinued. In 1817, following a major revision of British coinage, new versions of half sovereigns and sovereigns were introduced.