Half crown (British coin)

Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". The British half crown was a denomination of sterling coinage worth <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1⁄8 pound, or two shillings and six pence (abbreviated "2/6", familiarly "two and six"), or 30 pre-decimal pence. The gold half crown was first issued in England in 1526, in the reign of King Henry VIII, with a value half that of the crown coin. The first silver half crown appeared in 1551, under King Edward VI and was dated. No half crowns were issued in the reign of Mary, but from the reign of Elizabeth I half crowns were issued in every reign except that of Edward VIII, until the coins were discontinued in 1970.

During the English Interregnum of 1649–1660, a republican half crown was issued, bearing the arms of the Commonwealth of England, despite monarchist associations of the coin's name. When Oliver Cromwell was made Lord Protector of England, half crowns were issued bearing his portrait depicting him wearing a laurel wreath in the manner of a Roman Emperor. The half crown did not display its value on the reverse until 1893. In the 20th century a slang term for the coin was "half-a-dollar".^[1]

The half crown was demonetised (ahead of other pre-decimal coins) on 1 January 1970, the year before the United Kingdom adopted decimal currency on Decimal Day.

History of the half crown by reign

File:Post Medieval Coin, Half crown of Elizabeth I (obverse and reverse) (FindID 734368).jpg

Gold half crown of Elizabeth I, 1580/81

File:English Half-Crown Newark 1646.jpg

This Charles I half crown was struck from a piece of hammered silver plate during one of the Civil War sieges of Newark, Nottinghamshire.

King Henry VIII 1526: the first English half crown was struck in gold.
King Edward VI: issued gold half crowns, and in 1551 the first half crown in silver, which was dated and showed the king riding a horse.
Queen Mary I: the half crown was struck on Mary's marriage to Philip II of Spain in 1554 but was never issued for circulation. Three specimens exist.
Queen Elizabeth I: gold half crowns were issued again. At the end of the reign silver half crowns were issued.
King James I: gold half crowns were issued again. During the reign silver half crowns were issued.
King Charles I: silver half crowns were issued, including those struck as obsidional money, money of necessity during the Civil War period.
Commonwealth of England: Oliver Cromwell silver half crowns were issued. During the years 1656 and 1658 milled half crowns were issued of Oliver Cromwell.
King Charles II 1663–1685: silver half crowns were issued, and this period saw the end of the hammered issue of half crowns.
King James II 1685–1688: silver half crown.
King William III & Queen Mary II 1689–1694: silver half crown.
William III of England 1694–1702: silver half crown.
Queen Anne 1702–1714: silver half crown.
King George I 1714–1727: silver half crown.
King George II 1727–1760: silver half crown.
King George III 1760–1820: silver half crown.
King George IV 1820–1830: silver half crown.
King William IV 1830–1837: silver half crown.
Queen Victoria 1837–1901: silver half crown.
King Edward VII 1902–1910: silver half crown.
King George V 1910–1936: silver half crown, sterling silver (92½% silver) until 1919, then 50% silver.
King Edward VIII 1936: 50% silver half crown. Not issued for circulation.
King George VI 1937–1952: 50% silver half crowns were issued until 1946 when the metal was changed to cupro-nickel.
Queen Elizabeth II 1953–1967: the last half crown for general circulation was issued in 1967, and the coin was withdrawn in 1970, before decimalisation. Proof sets of £sd coins, including the half crown, were issued by the Royal Mint, bearing the date 1970.

Size and weight

From 1816, in the reign of George III, half crown coins had a diameter of 32 mm and a weight of 14.14 grams (defined as <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />5⁄11 troy ounce^[2]), dimensions which remained the same for the half crown until decimalisation in 1971.^[3]

Mintages

The mintage figures below are taken from the annual UK publication Coin Yearbook.^[4]

Half-crown mintages 1887–1970
Monarch	Obverse variant	Year	Mintages
Monarch	Obverse variant	Year	General	Proof
Victoria	Jubilee	1887	Script error: No such module "val".	Script error: No such module "val".
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	Old head	1893	Script error: No such module "val".	Script error: No such module "val".
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		1900	Script error: No such module "val".
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Edward VII		1902	Script error: No such module "val".	Script error: No such module "val".
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George V		1911	Script error: No such module "val".	Script error: No such module "val".
		1912	Script error: No such module "val".
		1913	Script error: No such module "val".
		1914	Script error: No such module "val".
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George VI		1937	Script error: No such module "val".	Script error: No such module "val".
		1938	Script error: No such module "val".
		1939	Script error: No such module "val".
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		1952	Script error: No such module "val".^[5]
Elizabeth II		1953	Script error: No such module "val".	Script error: No such module "val".
		1954	Script error: No such module "val".
		1955	Script error: No such module "val".
		1956	Script error: No such module "val".
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Gallery

Edward VI half-crown, 1552

Edward VI half-crown, 1552
Gold half crown of James I

Gold half crown of James I
Charles I half-crown

Charles I half-crown
Half crown coin of Oliver Cromwell, 1658

Half crown coin of Oliver Cromwell, 1658
Half crown of Charles II, 1680

Half crown of Charles II, 1680
Half crown of James II, 1687

Half crown of James II, 1687
Half crown of 1691: William III and Mary II

Half crown of 1691: William III and Mary II
Half crown of William III, 1696

Half crown of William III, 1696
Half crown of Queen Anne

Half crown of Queen Anne
Half crown of George I, 1723

Half crown of George I, 1723
Half crown of George II, 1746

Half crown of George II, 1746
Half crown of George III, 1816

Half crown of George III, 1816
Half crown of George IV, 1821

Half crown of George IV, 1821
Half crown of William IV, 1836

Half crown of William IV, 1836
Half-crown of Victoria, 1885

Half-crown of Victoria, 1885
Half-crown of Victoria, 1888

Half-crown of Victoria, 1888
The reverse of the 1905, Edward VII, half crown

The reverse of the 1905, Edward VII, half crown
George V half crown, 1930

George V half crown, 1930
George VI half crown, 1948

George VI half crown, 1948
The obverse of the 1953, Elizabeth II, half crown

The obverse of the 1953, Elizabeth II, half crown
The reverse of the 1953, Elizabeth II, half crown

The reverse of the 1953, Elizabeth II, half crown

References

↑ "Half-a-dollar", Collins Dictionary. Retrieved 5 October 2022
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External links

cromwellcoins.com – view coins from the Commonwealth of England period, 1649–1660, including half crowns.
British Coins – free information about British coins (from 1656 to 1952). Includes an online forum.
Coins of the UK – a full history of the half crown.
The History of the Half-crown
Halfcrown, Coin Type from United Kingdom – Online Coin Club

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[1] "Half-a-dollar", Collins Dictionary. Retrieved 5 October 2022

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Half crown (British coin)

Contents

History of the half crown by reign

Size and weight

Mintages

Gallery

See also

References

External links

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Half crown (British coin)

History of the half crown by reign

Size and weight

Mintages

Gallery

See also

References

External links

Navigation menu

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