Halfpenny 1875, Coin from United Kingdom - detailed information
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The British pre-decimal halfpenny coin (abbreviated as ½d), usually simply known as a halfpenny or half penny, was a unit of currency that equalled half of a penny or one four-hundred-and-eightieth of a pound sterling (there were 20 shillings to a pound, and 12 pence to a shilling so one pound was equal to 240 pence, so 480 of these coins made up £1). The denomination continues the tradition of earlier halfpenny coins of Great Britain, which also featured the figure of Britannia. The bronze coins of this type replaced the larger copper halfpennies which were issued until 1860; copper was considered to be impractical as it wore too rapidly due to extensive circulation. The new, more durable, alloy was composed of 95 parts of copper, four of tin and one of zinc. The coins were also smaller and thinner, therefore more convenient to carry. The dies were engraved by Leonard Charles Wyon, then Engraver to the Royal Mint. The reverse features a new, third, design of Britannia. The obverse carries Leonard Wyon's "Bun Head" portrait of Queen Victoria. Both sides were updated to the halfpennies carrying the fourth Britannia design and a new effigy of the Queen in 1895. Halfpenny coins issued in 1875 remained in circulation for 94 years until 1969, when they were demonetised prior to the decimalisation of the currency. | |||||||||
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| London Mint Office coins. |
| Variety | Obverse 12, Reverse L, Royal Mint (Freeman 322) | |
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| Mintage | Issued: unknown (included in total) | |
| Variety | Obverse 13, Reverse J, Royal Mint (Freeman 322A) | |
| Mintage | Issued: unknown (included in total) | |
| Variety | Obverse 13, Reverse K*, Heaton Mint (Freeman 323) | |
| Mintage | Issued: unknown (included in total) | |
| Variety | Proof, Obverse 13, Reverse K*, Heaton Mint (Freeman 324) | |
| Mintage | Issued: unknown | |
| Variety | Thick flan, Obverse 13, Reverse K*, Heaton Mint (Freeman 324A) | |
| Mintage | Issued: unknown (included in total) | |
| Source | Edition | About | Link | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Museums Victoria Collections | 2016 | Coin description | link | |
| Whitman, Guidebook of English Coins, Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries | 1962 | Mint | ||
| Whitman, Guidebook of English Coins, Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries | 1962 | Mintage | ||
| Whitman, Guidebook of English Coins, Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries | 1962 | Varieties | Proof, Heaton Mint | |
| Freeman, Bronze Coinage of Great Britain | 1972 | Varieties |
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| London Mint Office coins. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Currency | Pound Sterling (pre-decimal) |
| Coin Type | Halfpenny (Britannia, third design) |
| Issued | 1875 |
| Monarch | Queen Victoria |
| Effigy | Queen Victoria - Portrait by Leonard Charles Wyon (Bun Head) |
| Reverse | Britannia, Seated |
| Face Value | 1/2 (x Penny) |
| Total Mintage | 6,685,215 (6.7 million), Rarity: N (Normal) |
| Current | No; demonetised 1969 |
| Material | Bronze |
| Designer | Leonard Charles Wyon |
| Technology | Milled (machine-made) |
| Shape | Round |
| Orientation | Coin Alignment (Axis 6) |
| Size | 25.5000 mm |
| Mass | 5.7000 g |
| OCC ID | RNAZ-EGWC-VWKP-EXJL |
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| Image | Details |
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Victoria, Bronze Halfpenny, 1875
Copyright: JNCoins Notes: Freeman 321. Source |
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Victoria, Bronze Halfpenny, 1875
Copyright: JNCoins Notes: Freeman 321. Source |
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Coin - Halfpenny, Queen Victoria, Great Britain, 1875
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: Royal Mint (no mint mark). Source |
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Coin - Halfpenny, Queen Victoria, Great Britain, 1875
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: Royal Mint. Source |
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Great Britain 1875-H half penny
Copyright: CoinFactsWiki / CC BY-SA Author: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles Notes: Proof. Heaton Mint (H mint mark). Source |
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Great Britain 1875-H half penny
Copyright: CoinFactsWiki / CC BY-SA Author: Goldberg Coins and Collectibles Notes: Proof. Heaton Mint. Source |
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Coin - Halfpenny, Queen Victoria, Great Britain, 1875
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: Heaton Mint (H mint mark). Source |
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Coin - Halfpenny, Queen Victoria, Great Britain, 1875
Copyright: Museums Victoria / CC BY Author: Justine Philip Notes: Heaton Mint. Source |
| Source | Reference ID |
|---|---|
| Freeman, Bronze Coinage of Great Britain | 321, 322, 322A, 323, 324, 324A |
| Spink, Coins of England and the United Kingdom | 3956 (Royal Mint), 3957 (Heaton Mint) |
| Krause, Standard Catalog of World Coins | Great Britain KM# 754 |