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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 In 1939, a new design superseded this one - featuring the iconic leaping kangaroo; the old type of coins remained in circulation.
Coins issued in 1938 were withdrawn at decimalisation in 1966 after 28 years in circulation, but have never been formally demonetised and are still legal tender.
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| Mint | Melbourne Mint |
Mint Mark | No mint mark |
Total Mintage | 3,014,250 (3.0 million) |
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| Obverse | |
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The obverse of the coin shows the bare (uncrowned) head of King George VI facing left.
Below the neck truncation in small letters, the artist's initials HP (for [Thomas] Humphrey Paget).
Around, the monarch's legend: GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP.. Translated from Latin: George the Sixth, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britains, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India.
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| Reverse | |
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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 · 1938 ·. |
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| Edge | Plain | Edge Inscription | None |
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| Notes | This was the first issue in the name of King George VI. No new design for the halfpenny reverse was approved until 1939, so the halfpenny and the sixpence of King George VI continued the reverse forms of King George V. The other denominations had new designs.
Remick 1971 lists mintage of 5,174,400. |
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