{"product_id":"uk-km-896-halfpenny-queen-elizabeth-ii-1954-1970-vf-very-fine-pre-decimal","title":"UK KM#896 Halfpenny 1\/2 Penny ½ Penny 1954-1970 VF Very Fine—Elizabeth II—Pre-decimal","description":"\u003cp\u003eA workhorse of postwar British commerce, the Elizabeth II halfpenny ran for sixteen years without the imperial title \u003cem\u003eBRITT:OMN\u003c\/em\u003e — a quiet acknowledgment that the Empire had become a Commonwealth. On its reverse sails the \u003cem\u003eGolden Hind\u003c\/em\u003e, the ship in which Sir Francis Drake became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe, a design first introduced on the 1937 Edward VIII halfpenny pattern and never bettered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eFront\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e warm brown bronze engraving; golden-tan fields; reddish-copper highlights\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eYoung laureate bust of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, by sculptor \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mary_Gillick\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMary Gillick\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLegend:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003e+ELIZABETH·II·DEI·GRATIA·REGINA·F:D:\u003c\/em\u003e — \"Elizabeth II by the Grace of God Queen Defender of the Faith\" — \u003cem\u003eBRITT:OMN\u003c\/em\u003e omitted from 1954 onward as Commonwealth realms became fully independent\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mary_Gillick\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMary Gillick\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eBack\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eColors:\u003c\/strong\u003e golden-tan fields; dark brown engraving on the ship; olive-bronze accents\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThree-masted ship sailing left — Sir Francis Drake's \u003cem\u003eGolden Hind\u003c\/em\u003e, in which he circumnavigated the globe 1577–1580; design first appeared on the 1937 Edward VIII halfpenny pattern\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eDenomination \u003cem\u003eHALF PENNY\u003c\/em\u003e above; date below; initials \u003cem\u003eHP\u003c\/em\u003e in field\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDesigner:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Thomas_Humphrey_Paget\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThomas Humphrey Paget\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eOther Characteristics\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eVarieties:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e1954 Rev A — L of HALF at a bead, smaller teeth\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e1954 Rev B — L of HALF between beads, longer teeth\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e1956 Obv 3 \/ Rev C; Obv 3 \/ Rev D; Obv 4 \/ Rev C; Obv 4 \/ Rev D\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e1957 Calm Sea; 1957 Normal (rough) Sea\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e1958 Rev E (18.75 mm mainmast to sea); Rev F (19.00 mm); Rev G (19.00 mm, shorter teeth)\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e1967 \u0026amp; 1970 Proof: Obv 3 (normal rim); Obv 4 (wide rim)\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCatalog numbers:\u003c\/strong\u003e KM# 896; Sp# 4158; Numista \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.numista.com\/catalogue\/pieces5824.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eN#5824\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eComposition:\u003c\/strong\u003e Bronze\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 25.4 mm diameter; 1.3 mm thick\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 5.67 g (standard: 80 to the pound avoirdupois \/ ⅕ oz \/ 87½ grains)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShape:\u003c\/strong\u003e Round; milled technique; medal alignment ↑↑; plain edge\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIssuing entity:\u003c\/strong\u003e HM Treasury \/ Bank of England\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMint:\u003c\/strong\u003e Royal Mint (Tower Hill), London (1810–1975); Royal Mint, Llantrisant, Wales (1968–date)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDemonetized:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Demonetization_(currency)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e1 August 1969\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCurrency:\u003c\/strong\u003e Pound sterling (pre-decimal, 1158–1971) — 1 halfpenny = ½ penny = 1⁄480 of a pound\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial language:\u003c\/strong\u003e English\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the United Kingdom\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \"United Kingdom\" derives from the Acts of Union 1707 (uniting England and Scotland) and 1800 (adding Ireland); \"Great Britain\" comes from Latin \u003cem\u003eBritannia\u003c\/em\u003e, used by the Romans for the island, possibly from a Celtic root meaning \"land of the painted people\" (Pritani\/Brittones)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCapital:\u003c\/strong\u003e London — city proper ~9.7 million; Greater London ~14 million\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of name:\u003c\/strong\u003e From Roman \u003cem\u003eLondinium\u003c\/em\u003e (est. c. 43 AD); exact etymology debated — possibly from a Celtic personal name or a pre-Celtic root meaning \"place at the navigable or bold river\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePopulation:\u003c\/strong\u003e ~68 million (UN 2024) — slightly larger than France or Thailand\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eArea:\u003c\/strong\u003e 243,610 km² (94,058 mi²) — comparable to Oregon or Romania\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGDP per capita (\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Purchasing_power_parity\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePPP\u003c\/a\u003e):\u003c\/strong\u003e ~$56,000 (IMF 2024)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMain exports:\u003c\/strong\u003e Financial services, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, machinery, vehicles, whisky, petroleum products\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBorders:\u003c\/strong\u003e Ireland (land border); France, Belgium, Netherlands (via English Channel\/North Sea)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial\/spoken language:\u003c\/strong\u003e English; regional: Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEthnicities:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/White_British\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eWhite British\u003c\/a\u003e (~81%); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/British_Asian\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBritish Asian\u003c\/a\u003e (~8%); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Black_British\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBlack British\u003c\/a\u003e (~3%); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mixed_British\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMixed\u003c\/a\u003e (~2%); other (~6%)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMemberships:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/United_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eUN\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1945; permanent Security Council seat); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/NATO\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNATO\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, 1949); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Commonwealth_of_Nations\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eCommonwealth of Nations\u003c\/a\u003e (founding member, hosts secretariat in London); \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/G7\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eG7\u003c\/a\u003e; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/G20\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eG20\u003c\/a\u003e; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/OECD\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eOECD\u003c\/a\u003e; left EU via Brexit (2020)\u003c\/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSovereignty:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n    \u003cul\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eRoman Britain (43–410 AD)\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eAnglo-Saxon kingdoms (5th–11th century)\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eNorman Conquest (1066) — William the Conqueror; feudal England established\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eKingdom of England (927–1707); Kingdom of Scotland (843–1707)\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eActs of Union (1707) — Kingdom of Great Britain formed\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eAct of Union (1800) — United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eIrish Free State partition (1922) — becomes United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eHouse of Windsor (1917–date); Elizabeth II (1952–2022) — \u003cstrong\u003ethis coin issued during her reign\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Ship That Changed the World\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cem\u003eGolden Hind\u003c\/em\u003e on the halfpenny reverse is no generic galleon. \u003cstrong\u003eIt is the specific ship in which Francis Drake completed the second circumnavigation of the globe\u003c\/strong\u003e — departing Plymouth in December 1577 and returning in September 1580, having raided Spanish treasure fleets along the way and been knighted by Elizabeth I on the deck of his own ship. The design first appeared on the 1937 Edward VIII halfpenny pattern and was carried forward through the entire pre-decimal halfpenny series. Every year from 1954 to 1970, the \u003cem\u003eGolden Hind\u003c\/em\u003e sailed on.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSixteen Years Without the Empire\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe absence of \u003cem\u003eBRITT:OMN\u003c\/em\u003e — \u003cem\u003eBritanniarum Omnium Regina\u003c\/em\u003e, \"Queen of all the Britains\" — from the 1954 onward issues is a numismatic marker of decolonization. \u003cstrong\u003eAs Commonwealth nations became fully independent, the imperial title was quietly dropped from the legend.\u003c\/strong\u003e The coin in your hand carries the simpler, more honest legend: Queen, by the Grace of God, Defender of the Faith. Nothing more claimed. The Empire, in miniature, receding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eA Coin of Remarkable Variety\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCollectors of this series are rewarded with an unusually rich set of die varieties — reverse tooth lengths, mainmast-to-sea measurements, rim widths, and sea textures all vary across the sixteen-year run. \u003cstrong\u003eThe 1957 Calm Sea variety and the 1958 Rev F and Rev G issues are the scarcest of the circulation strikes.\u003c\/strong\u003e The 1970-dated proofs, struck over several years as part of the \"Last Sterling\" mint set, are the final chapter of a design that outlasted the Empire it served.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOwn this coin and hold a piece of the age of exploration and the age of decolonization in a single bronze disc — the \u003cem\u003eGolden Hind\u003c\/em\u003e still sailing, the Queen still young, the Empire quietly gone.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Money Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52289501823287,"sku":"GBKM896VF","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0969\/7165\/3431\/files\/896-halfpenny-2nd-type-rcopy.jpg?v=1780260279","url":"https:\/\/worldmoneystore.com\/products\/uk-km-896-halfpenny-queen-elizabeth-ii-1954-1970-vf-very-fine-pre-decimal","provider":"World Money Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}