Half penny (British decimal coin)

Half penny (British decimal coin)

Infobox Coin
Country = United Kingdom
Denomination = Half penny
Value = ½
Unit = penny sterling
Mass = 1.78
Diameter = 17.14
Thickness = approx. 1
Edge = Plain
Composition = Bronze
Years of Minting = 1971–1984
Catalog Number = —
Obverse = 76-926obverse.jpg
Obverse Design = Queen Elizabeth II
Obverse Designer = Arnold Machin
Obverse Design Date = 1971
Reverse = 76-926reverse.jpg
Reverse Design = Crown
From 1971–1981 the inscription read NEW PENNY.
Reverse Designer = Christopher Ironside
Reverse Design Date = 1971 |The British decimal half penny (½p) and also written halfpenny or half pence) was first issued on 15 February 1971, the day the British currency was decimalised. In practice it had been available from banks in bags for some weeks previously.

The decimal half penny, worth 1.2 pre-decimal pence, enabled the prices of some low-value items to be more accurately translated to the new decimal currency. It also allowed the pre-decimal sixpence to remain in circulation (with a value of 2½ new pence) alongside the new decimal coinage. In the same vein, a decimal quarter-penny coin (to be struck in aluminium) was also proposed (which would have allowed the pre-decimal threepence to continue to circulate with a value of 1.25 new pence), but ended up never being produced. [ [http://www.tclayton.demon.co.uk/dec.html "The Change to Decimal Coinage"] , Tony Clayton]

The half penny coin was minted in bronze. It was the smallest decimal coin by both size and value, weighing 1.78 grams and measuring 17.14 millimetres in diameter. It was nicknamed the "tiddler" on account of its size, and soon became Britain's least loved coin. The Treasury had continued to argue that the half penny was important in the fight against inflation (preventing prices from being rounded up), [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/1/newsid_2828000/2828819.stm BBC news story] ] but by the early 1980s it was practically worthless and its main utility was as a driver of small screws. The 1984 half penny was issued only in mint and proof sets by the Royal Mint, and the coin was demonetized and withdrawn from circulation in December 1984.

The reverse of the coin, designed by Christopher Ironside, was simply a crown, with the fraction "½" below the crown, and either NEW PENNY (1971–1981) or HALF PENNY (1982–1984) above the crown.

During the existence of the coin, only one obverse was used – the head of Queen Elizabeth II by Arnold Machin, with the inscription ELIZABETH II D.G.REG.F.D. year.

Mintages

*1971 ~ 1
*1972 ~ none
*1973 ~ 365,680,000
*1974 ~ 365,448,000
*1975 ~ 197,600,000
*1976 ~ 412,172,000
*1977 ~ 66,368,000
*1978 ~ 59,532,000
*1979 ~ 219,132,000
*1980 ~ 202,788,000
*1981 ~ 46,748,000
*1982 ~ 190,752,000
*1983 ~ 7,600,000

References

External links

* [http://www.coinpage.com/britain%20half%20penny-pictures.html British Half Penny pictures]
* [http://www.tclayton.demon.co.uk/decbr.html Coins of the UK - Decimal Bronze Coins]


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