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The halfcrown (or half crown) was a denomination of the pre-decimal Pound Sterling coinage worth one-eighth of a pound, or two and a half shillings (a full crown being defined as five shillings), or 30 pence. In sums, it was abbreviated "2/6" (pronounced "two and six" - two shillings and six pence, a full shilling being twelve pence). The half crown was first issued in 1549 in the reign of King Edward VI. Halfcrown coins issued during the reign of King George III are part of the great recoinage of 1816, and have a reverse design which is similar to that of the shilling and sixpence coins issued at the same time. They were initially issued with a "large head" portrait showing the king's bare shoulders; this was not well accepted and was discontinued after 1817, being replaced by a simpler "small head" type on which the reverse was slightly changed too. At the time the coins were issued, King George III no longer ruled in person but was subject to the regency of his son the Prince of Wales, later King George IV. The composition is Sterling Silver (0.925 silver) and the coins have 0.4205 oz ASW (ounces of Absolute Silver Weight). The half crown was demonetised (ahead of other pre-decimal coins) on 1 January 1970, the year before the United Kingdom adopted decimal currency. | ||||||||||||
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Variety | Proof (Milled Edge) | |
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Mintage | Issued: unknown | |
Variety | Proof (Plain Edge) | |
Mintage | Issued: unknown |
Source | Edition | About | Link | Notes |
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Museums Victoria Collections | 2016 | Coin description | link | |
Remick, Catalogue of British Commonwealth Coins | 1971 | Mint | ||
Remick, Catalogue of British Commonwealth Coins | 1971 | Mintage | ||
Spink, Coins of England and the United Kingdom | Varieties | Proof (milled and plain edge) | ||
Remick, Catalogue of British Commonwealth Coins | 1971 | Varieties | Proof |
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Country | United Kingdom |
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Currency | Pound Sterling (pre-decimal) |
Coin Type | Halfcrown King George III, Large Head |
Issued | 1817 |
Monarch | King George III |
Effigy | Laureate bust by Benedetto Pistrucci (Bull Head) |
Reverse | Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom, Hanoverian |
Face Value | 2 1/2 (x Shilling) |
Total Mintage | 8,092,656 (8.1 million) |
Current | No; demonetised 1970 |
Material | 0.925 Silver |
Designer | Thomas Wyon Jr. |
Technology | Milled (machine-made) |
Shape | Round |
Orientation | Coin Alignment (Axis 6) |
Size | 32.0000 mm |
Thickness | 1.6000 mm |
Mass | 14.1380 g |
OCC ID | GRNA-ZEGW-CGXY-EXJL |
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Image | Details |
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Coin - Halfcrown, George III, Great Britain, 1817
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Source |
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Coin - Halfcrown, George III, Great Britain, 1817
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Source |
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Great Britain 1817 1/2 crown KM-667
Copyright: CoinFactsWiki / CC BY-SA Author: Heritage Auction Galleries Source |
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Great Britain 1817 1/2 crown KM-667
Copyright: CoinFactsWiki / CC BY-SA Author: Heritage Auction Galleries Source |
Source | Reference ID |
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Spink, Coins of England and the United Kingdom | 3788 |
Krause, Standard Catalog of World Coins | Great Britain KM# 667 |