Half crown (British coin)

Half one crown

United Kingdom
Value	^1⁄8 pound sterling
Mass	(1816–1970) 14.14 g
Diameter	(1816–1970) 32.31 mm
Edge	Milled
Composition	(1816–1919) 92.5% Ag (1920–1946) 50% Ag (1947–1970) Cupronickel
Years of minting	1707–1970
Obverse
Design	Profile of the monarch (Elizabeth II design shown)
Designer	Mary Gillick
Design date	1953
Reverse
Design	Various (crowned Royal Shield shown)
Designer	Edgar Fuller and Cecil Thomas
Design date	1967

Half crown coin of Oliver Cromwell, 1658

The half crown was a denomination of British money, equivalent to two shillings and sixpence, or one-eighth of a pound. The half crown was first issued in 1549, in the reign of Edward VI. 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 Edward VIII, until the coins were discontinued in 1967.

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. 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 made himself Lord Protector of England, half crowns were issued bearing his semi-royal portrait. The half crown did not display its value on the reverse until 1893.

History of the half crown by reign

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 1551: issued the first half crown in silver. The coin 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. http://www.petitioncrown.com/spare15_LK47.html
• 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 1952–1970: the last half crown was issued in 1970 shortly before decimalisation.

Size and weight

From George III, 1816, they had a diameter of 32 mm and a weight of 14.1 g, dimensions which remained the same for the half crown until decimalisation in 1971.^[1]

Mintages

The mintage figures below are taken from the annual UK publication COIN YEARBOOK.^[2] Proof mintages are indicated in italics.

Victoria	(Jubilee)
1887	1,438,046 1,084		1890	3,228,111
1888	1,428,787		1891	2,284,632
1889	4,811,954		1892	1,710,946
Victoria	(Old Head)
1893	1,792,600 1,312		1898	1,870,055
1894	1,524,960		1899	2,865,872
1895	1,772,662		1900	4,479,128
1896	2,148,505		1901	1,516,570
1897	1,678,643
Edward VII
1902	1,316,008 15,123		1907	3,693,930
1903	274,840		1908	1,758,889
1904	709,652		1909	3,051,592
1905	166,008		1910	2,557,685
1906	2,886,206
George V
1911	2,914,573 6,007		1924	5,866,294
1912	4,700,789		1925	1,413,461
1913	4,090,169		1926	4,473,516
1914	18,333,003		1927	6,837,872 15,000
1915	32,433,066		1928	18,762,727
1916	29,530,020		1929	17,632,636
1917	11,172,052		1930	809,051
1918	29,079,592		1931	11,264,468
1919	10,266,737		1932	4,793,643
1920	17,982,077		1933	10,311,494
1921	23,677,889		1934	2,422,399
1922	16,396,724		1935	7,022,216
1923	26,308,526		1936	7,039,423
George VI
1937	9,106,440 26,402		1945	19,849,242
1938	6,426,478		1946	22,724,873
1939	15,478,635		1947	21,911,484
1940	17,948,439		1948	71,164,703
1941	15,773,984		1949	28,272,512
1942	31,220,090		1950	28,335,500 17,513
1943	15,462,875		1951	9,003,520 20,000
1944	15,255,165		1952	1[3]
Elizabeth II
1953	4,333,214 40,000		1961	25,887,897
1954	11,614,953		1962	24,013,312
1955	23,628,726		1963	17,625,200
1956	33,934,909		1964	5,973,600
1957	34,200,563		1965	9,778,440
1958	15,745,668		1966	13,375,200
1959	9,028,844		1967	33,058,400
1960	19,929,191		1970	750,000

Gallery

• 

  The reverse of the 1905, Edward VII, half crown.

• 

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

• 

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

See also

• Half crown (Irish coin)

References

1. Tony Clayton. "Coins of the UK - Thirty Pence". coins-of-the-uk.co.uk.
2. "Coin, Banknote and Medal Collector's Magazines. Token Publishing Numismatic Interest". tokenpublishing.com.
3. "Welcome to Colin Cooke Coins - Numismatics, Coins, Rarities - 1952 Halfcrown". colincooke.com.

External links

• - View coins from the Commonwealth of England period, 1649–1660, including halfcrowns.
• 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.
• - Publishers of COIN YEARBOOK (mintage figure source)
• The History of the Half-crown