MLS 1959 Halfpenny Collectable British Coin - Uncirculated / Predecimal / UK Souvenir from London England Great Britain

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And when the coin was submitted to independent grading agencies, they refused to rule it was authentic. In 2002, with the coin about to be offered for sale at auction, a convicted forger called Mark Hofmann wrote a letter to his daughter claiming he’d faked it.

At the end of the 18th century a shortage of small value coins, such as silver Pennies and Halfpennies, made trade difficult. This shortage was so great that some merchants and mining companies began to produce their own copper Penny and Half-pence ‘token’ coins. In 1939, the first halfpenny coins continued to be produced with the long-standing "•COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA•" which had held since their first introduction 1911. However, later that year the reverse changed to a scaled-down and horizontally inverted version of the penny Kangaroo reverse, which was introduced the previous year in 1938. Furthermore, there were two observably distinct reverse Kangaroo dies on the (then) new 1939 halfpennies—one from the original London die master and the second from the Melbourne Mint. [1] [5] The familiar motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” is inscribed above Lincoln’s portrait. Further down and to the left is the word “LIBERTY”. The date is a little lower down on the right-hand side. This coin, like any numismatic item, is sought after by collectors for a variety of reasons. It appeals to collectors for its rarity, being a crucial component in creating a truly complete Australian Commonwealth coin set, its historical numismatic significance, and being topic of continued debate.These featured the conjoined images of William and Mary on the obverse, and an image of Britannia seated on the reverse. The British pre-decimal halfpenny, (pronounced / ˈ h eɪ p ən i/), once abbreviated ob. (from the Latin 'obulus'), [1] was a denomination of sterling coinage worth 1 / 480 of one pound, 1 / 24 of one shilling, or 1 / 2 of one penny. Originally the halfpenny was minted in copper, but after 1860 it was minted in bronze. In the run-up to decimalisation, it ceased to be legal tender from 31 July 1969 (although halfpennies dated 1970 were minted as part of a final pre-decimal commemorative set). [2] The halfpenny featured two different designs on its reverse during its years in circulation. From 1672 until 1936 the image of Britannia appeared on the reverse, and from 1937 onwards the image of the Golden Hind appeared. [3] Like all British coinage, it bore the portrait of the monarch on the obverse. [4] George Kruger Gray was an English artist, best remembered for his designs of coinage and stained glass windows. It was withdrawn from sale but offered at auction again eight years later. By then, no evidence had been found to support Hofmann’s claim. Even so, the coin was sold with a disclaimer noting there was no guarantee it was genuine.

But if you have a red coin in mint condition – one that has never been used in everyday transactions – the value can be much higher. If you look closely, you’ll see it includes the statue of Lincoln at the center of the portico. That makes the Lincoln Memorial pennies one of the few coins to carry the image of the same person on both sides.University of Nottingham Manuscripts and Special Collections 'Research Guidance' Weights and Measures § Money" . Retrieved 12 March 2014. The historical context of how the Indian Quarter Anna obverse came onto 1916 Halfpenny, is that during World War I the Royal Mint of London assigned the production of a range of Australian coins to the Calcutta Mint, with the reason for this change being that there were allay concerns that the German Navy could have the ability to intercept or sink maritime deliveries of coinage from Britain to Australia. [5] This would not have only had the consequence of expense, but would have also been morale-shattering in a time of great need. The 1916 Australian halfpenny and penny were the first non-Indian coins to be produced by the Royal Mint's Calcutta branch. [5] The first of which were introduced by around 785 by the Anglo-Saxon King Offa of Mercia. The name Penny was derived from the German ‘pfennig’ and old English ‘pennige’. a b c d e f g "International Auction Galleries, IAG's Benchmark Collection, in conjunction with Strand Coins" (PDF). by Australasian Numismatic Dealers Association. ANDA. 2015. The 1959 pennies were the first to bear the image of Washington DC’s Lincoln Memorial on the reverse.

In literal use usually written out in full [8] [9] [10] although still never pronounced phonetically: [11] [12] [13] e.g. "A halfpennyworth of chips." [14] In figurative use usually said disparagingly: e.g. "I've been dying for somebody with a ha’porth of wit and intelligence to talk to." [15] "…and saying it doesn't make a halfpennyworth of difference!" [16] [17] (from Alan Bennett's A lady of Letters, written and produced in 1987, some sixteen years after decimalisation and three years after the New Halfpenny—(i.e. the decimal 1 / 2p)—had been demonetised and withdrawn from circulation, thus further illustrating the continued traditional or idiomatic two-syllable pronunciation). Also used in the once common phrase: "daft ha’porth." [8] [9] [10] [18] See also [ edit ]Counting the known mintages of proofs, a total of 422,882,890 (422 million) coins of the denomination were minted during its circulation. [8] Year Halfpenny and Farthing". Royal Mint Museum. Archived from the original on 6 November 2018 . Retrieved 10 May 2014. The Treasury provided the finder with a letter stating that, in its opinion, the coin was the real deal. But it turned out that it had been examined by a currency expert, rather than a coin expert.

Brenner signed his portrait, originally intending to add his signature to the obverse. He was told this would not be acceptable, so instead placed his initials on the reverse. If that contrast is particularly pronounced, the coin is a “deep cameo”. And all other things being equal, cameos are more valuable than red coins, and deep cameos more valuable still. Over the years, various different obverses were used. Edward VII, George V, George VI and Elizabeth II each had a single obverse for halfpennies produced during their respective reigns. Over the long reign of Queen Victoria two different obverses were used, but the short reign of Edward VIII meant no halfpennies bearing his likeness were ever issued.

We are indebted to Declan Magee Coins and Numista member Sjoelund for their kind permission to reproduce the images below which list some of the varieties for this series. Pennies and Halfpence coins continued to be minted for general circulation until 1967. Final proof sets were minted in 1970 before decimalisation in 1971 marked the end of the old Penny. Cecil Walter Thomas, OBE, FRBS, was a British sculptor and medallist. As a sculptor, he created many private memorials for display in churches and cemeteries and as a medallist was regularly commissioned by the Royal Mint. The coin was first introduced in 1911, and minting ceased in 1965 with the introduction of the decimal system. When decimalisation occurred on 14 February 1966, the coin value was made equivalent to 5 / 12 of a cent (= 0.41666 c). [4]