½ Penny - George VI with 'IND:IMP'
| Bronze | 5.67 g | 26 mm |
| Issuer | United Kingdom (United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies) |
|---|---|
| King | George VI (1936-1952) |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Years | 1937-1948 |
| Value | ½ Penny (1⁄480) |
| Currency | Pound sterling (1158-1970) |
| Composition | Bronze |
| Weight | 5.67 g |
| Diameter | 26 mm |
| Thickness | 1.3 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Technique | Milled |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Demonetized | 1 August 1969 |
| Updated | 2024-10-08 |
| Numista | N#870 |
|---|---|
| Rarity index | 3% |
Reverse
Three-masted ship sailing left, denomination above, date below.
Script: Latin
Lettering:
HALF PENNY
HP
1943
Engraver: Thomas Humphrey Paget
Edge
Plain
Comment
The standard weight of these pieces was 80 to the pound or one fifth ounce avoirdupois (87½ grains).
The ship featured on the reverse design, which first appeared on the 1937 halfpenny pattern of Edward VIII, is based on Sir Francis Drake's Golden Hind, in which he became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe between 1577 and 1580.
This type uses a slightly re-worked reverse die for each year. The differences are very small and only the 1940 can be said to have genuine varieties, as three reverses can be found with this date. The image below shows these differences and is reproduced with the kind permission of Declan Magee and Numista member Sjoelund. Full details of the differences between all the reverses can be found in Freeman.
