Halfpenny 1922, Coin from Australia - detailed information

Halfpenny 1922, Coin from Australia (withdrawn 1966)
CoinHalfpenny 1922

The Australian halfpenny (or half penny) coin was the smallest circulating denomination of the Australian Pound. It has the same dimensions and composition as the British pre-decimal halfpenny, from which it is derived (for a time, the coins circulated in parallel and were interchangeable in Australia - but not in the United Kingdom; the currencies were fixed at par). 1/2 penny was worth 1/24 of a shilling, or 1/480 of a pound.

The reverse of this first type of Australian halfpenny coins features text only. In 1939, a new design superseded this one - featuring the iconic leaping kangaroo; the old type of coins remained in circulation.

Coins issued in 1922 were withdrawn at decimalisation in 1966 after 44 years in circulation, but have never been formally demonetised and are still legal tender.

MintSydney Mint Mint MarkNo mint mark Total Mintage 6,924,000 (6.9 million)
Obverse
Australia / Halfpenny 1922 - obverse photo

Crowned and draped bust of King George V facing left (crowned effigy by Sir Edgar Bertram Mackennal); the King is wearing the Imperial Crown and the ermine Robe of State, the Collar of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, and the Badge of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath.

The artist's initials BM are in relief on the bust truncation.

Around, the monarch's legend GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·. Translated from Latin: George the Fifth, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britains, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India.

Obverse Inscription GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Reverse
Australia / Halfpenny 1922 - reverse photo

At centre within a circle of beads, the value and denomination ONE HALF PENNY in three lines above a plain scroll; around above, outside the circle of beads, COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA; below, the date · 1922 ·.

Reverse Inscription ONE HALF PENNY COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA · 1922 ·
EdgePlainEdge InscriptionNone
Notes

Remick 1971 lists estimated mintage of 7,987,600 for 1922. Mintage figures for the Half penny of 1923 indicate 1,113,600. However most of these were dated 1922, with only around 15,000 dated 1923.

[Article] Sharples, John. 1985. Australian Coins 1919 to 1924. Journal of the Numismatic Association of Australia. 1 (July): 4-18.:

"In 1922 the Sydney Branch of the Royal Mint produced sixpence and halfpenny coins for the Commonwealth using dies supplied from Melbourne. In 1923 the future of the Sydney Mint looked very uncertain (it was eventually closed in 1926) but they did strike 1,113,600 halfpenny pieces that year. However no 1923 dated dies had been supplied; the entire issue of this denomination in 1923 bore the date 1922. In July 1923 the Melbourne Mint received an order for one thousand pound of halfpenny coins (480,000 coins) and in September three pairs of dies dated 1923 for the halfpenny denomination were issued from the workshop. One of these was immediately returned for more work. The other two dies cracked early in production so the coin is quite rare. This proof, or specimen strike, was made at the same time as the 1924 proof coins - it was made from the same obverse die and with the third reverse, by then returned from the workshop."

Halfpenny 1922: Known varieties
Variety Proof
Mintage Issued: unknown
Halfpenny 1922: References to Information Used
All (51) coins of type: Halfpenny
Coin NameMintageEffigyLegend
Halfpenny 1911 2,832,060 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1912 2,400,000 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1913 2,160,000 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1914 2,640,000 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1915 720,000 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1916 3,600,025 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1917 5,760,000 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1918 1,440,000 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1919 3,326,400 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1920 4,113,600 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1921 5,280,000 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1922 6,924,000 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1923 1,113,600 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1924 681,600 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1925 1,147,200 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1926 4,132,800 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1927 3,072,050 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1928 2,318,400 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1929 2,635,200 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1930 638,406 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1931 369,600 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1932 2,553,600 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1933 4,608,000 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1934 3,816,100 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1935 2,916,100 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1936 2,562,200 King George V - Crowned Bust, by Mackennal GEORGIVS V D. G. BRITT: OMN: REX F. D. IND: IMP: ·
Halfpenny 1938 3,014,250 King George VI - Bare Head GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Halfpenny 1939 Commonwealth of Australia 4,382,400 King George VI - Bare Head GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Halfpenny 1939 Kangaroo 504,100 King George VI - Bare Head GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Halfpenny 1940 2,294,400 King George VI - Bare Head GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Halfpenny 1941 5,011,200 King George VI - Bare Head GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Halfpenny 1942 11,054,400 King George VI - Bare Head GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Halfpenny 1943 39,988,806 King George VI - Bare Head GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Halfpenny 1944 720,000 King George VI - Bare Head GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Halfpenny 1945 3,033,600 King George VI - Bare Head GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Halfpenny 1946 13,747,200 King George VI - Bare Head GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Halfpenny 1947 9,292,800 King George VI - Bare Head GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Halfpenny 1948 30,160,800 King George VI - Bare Head GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.
Halfpenny 1949 22,310,400 King George VI - Bare Head GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX FIDEI DEF.
Halfpenny 1950 12,014,400 King George VI - Bare Head GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX FIDEI DEF.
Halfpenny 1951 41,422,080 King George VI - Bare Head GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX FIDEI DEF.
Halfpenny 1952 1,831,680 King George VI - Bare Head GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX FIDEI DEF.
Halfpenny 1953 23,967,376 Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait + ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Halfpenny 1954 21,962,880 Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait + ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Halfpenny 1955 9,343,021 Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait + ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA
Halfpenny 1959 10,167,906 Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait + ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA · F : D :
Halfpenny 1960 17,812,870 Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait + ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA · F : D :
Halfpenny 1961 20,184,080 Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait + ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA · F : D :
Halfpenny 1962 10,259,624 Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait + ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA · F : D :
Halfpenny 1963 16,411,300 Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait + ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA · F : D :
Halfpenny 1964 18,230,401 Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait + ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA · F : D :
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Halfpenny 1922: Details
CountryAustralia
CurrencyAustralian Pound
Coin TypeHalfpenny - Commonwealth of Australia
Issued1922
MonarchKing George V
EffigyKing George V - Crowned Bust, by Bertram Mackennal
Face Value1/2 (x Penny)
Total Mintage6,924,000 (6.9 million)
CurrentNo; withdrawn 1966
MaterialBronze
DesignerWilliam Henry James Blakemore
TechnologyMilled (machine-made)
ShapeRound
OrientationMedal Alignment (Axis 0)
Size25.4000 mm
Mass5.6700 g
OCC IDJWMR-AEQP-CXQJ-OYPL
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Halfpenny 1922: Photos
ImageDetails
Halfpenny 1922: Photo Coin - Halfpenny, Australia, 1922 / thumbnail Coin - Halfpenny, Australia, 1922
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY
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Source
Halfpenny 1922: Photo Coin - Halfpenny, Australia, 1922 / thumbnail Coin - Halfpenny, Australia, 1922
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY
Author:
Source
Halfpenny 1922: Catalogue Reference IDs