| ||||||||||||
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). Bronze coins of these specifications were introduced in 1860 to replace earlier larger copper halfpennies. Between 1860 and 1895, the half penny had the third Britannia design on the reverse, and Queen Victoria's "Bun Head" effigy. In 1895, the reverse was updated to the fourth Britannia design, which was a simplified version of the earlier design; it was issued until 1936. In 1937, the Britannia type was discontinued in favour of the new halfpenny issue of King George VI. Both the new obverse and reverse were designed by Thomas Humphrey Paget. The striking reverse design shows Sir Francis Drake’s ship, the Golden Hind. Halfpenny coins issued in 1958 remained in circulation for 11 years until 1969, when they were demonetised prior to the decimalisation of the currency. | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
|
Variety | Obverse 3, Reverse F (Freeman 480) | |
---|---|---|
Mintage | Issued: unknown. Rarity: C (Common) | |
Variety | Obverse 3, Reverse G (Freeman 481) | |
Mintage | Issued: unknown (included in total). Rarity: C (Common) | |
Variety | Proof, Obverse 3, Reverse G (Freeman 482) | |
Mintage | Issued: unknown. Rarity: R6 (4 to 8 examples known) |
Source | Edition | About | Link | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Whitman, Guidebook of English Coins, Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries | 1962 | Mint | ||
Whitman, Guidebook of English Coins, Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries | 1962 | Mintage | ||
Freeman, Bronze Coinage of Great Britain | 1970 | Varieties | Proof |
Family-run store trading in rare coins and bullion, plus jewellery design and sales |
Country | United Kingdom |
---|---|
Currency | Pound Sterling (pre-decimal) |
Coin Type | Halfpenny (Ship) |
Issued | 1958 |
Monarch | Queen Elizabeth II |
Effigy | Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait, by Mary Gillick |
Face Value | 1/2 (x Penny) |
Circulation Mintage | 66,283,200 (66.3 million) |
Total Mintage | 66,283,200 (66.3 million), Rarity: C (Common) |
Current | No; demonetised 1969 |
Material | Bronze |
Designer | Thomas Humphrey Paget |
Technology | Milled (machine-made) |
Shape | Round |
Size | 25.5000 mm |
Mass | 5.4000 g |
OCC ID | WMRA-EQPC-XXAP-OYPL |
Buy gold and silver bullion online! |
Source | Reference ID |
---|---|
Freeman, Bronze Coinage of Great Britain | 479, 480, 481, 482 |
Spink, Coins of England and the United Kingdom | 4158 |
Krause, Standard Catalog of World Coins | Great Britain KM# 896 |