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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. The denomination was struck in silver for most of its existence, until it was debased to copper-nickel in 1947; so, all half crowns issued in the name of Queen Elizabeth II were in base metal. This type of half crown was introduced as part of the first coinage of the Queen's reign, replacing an earlier design struck during the reigns of her father and grandfather. It has an updated reverse depicting the Royal Coat of Arms differently, and an obverse featuring the Queen's first definitive effigy. The half crown was demonetised - ahead of other pre-decimal coins - on 1 January 1970, the year before the United Kingdom adopted decimal currency. This means that half crowns issued in 1958 circulated for 12 years. | ||||||||||||
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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 | ||
Krause, Standard Catalog of World Coins | Varieties | Proof |
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London Mint Office coins. |
Country | United Kingdom |
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Currency | Pound Sterling (pre-decimal) |
Coin Type | Halfcrown Elizabeth II |
Issued | 1958 |
Monarch | Queen Elizabeth II |
Effigy | Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait, by Mary Gillick |
Reverse | Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom |
Face Value | 2 1/2 (x Shilling) |
Total Mintage | 15,745,688 (15.7 million) |
Current | No; demonetised 1970 |
Material | CuproNickel |
Designer | Edgar Fuller, Cecil Thomas |
Technology | Milled (machine-made) |
Shape | Round |
Orientation | Medal Alignment (Axis 0) |
Size | 32.3000 mm |
Mass | 14.1400 g |
OCC ID | DBYN-KODD-CJRP-OPQM |
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Catalog of Modern World Coins 1850-1964 |
Image | Details |
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Great Britain 1958 half crown
Copyright: CoinFactsWiki / CC BY-SA Author: Stack's Bowers Notes: VIP Proof. Source |
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Great Britain 1958 half crown
Copyright: CoinFactsWiki / CC BY-SA Author: Stack's Bowers Notes: VIP Proof. Source |
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Coin - Halfcrown, Elizabeth II, Great Britain, 1958
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Source |
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Coin - Halfcrown, Elizabeth II, Great Britain, 1958
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Source |
Source | Reference ID |
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Spink, Coins of England and the United Kingdom | 4145 |
Krause, Standard Catalog of World Coins | Great Britain KM# 907 |