Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin)
The British pre-decimal halfpenny, (pronounced /ˈheɪpəni/), once abbreviated ob. (from the Latin 'obulus'), 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). 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. Like all British coinage, it bore the portrait of the monarch on the obverse.
United Kingdom | |
| Value | +1/2d sterling |
|---|---|
| Mass | (1860–1967) 5.67 g |
| Diameter | (1860–1967) 25.48 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Composition | (1672–1860) Copper (1860–1967) Bronze |
| Years of minting | 1672–1967 |
| Obverse | |
| Design | Profile of the monarch (Elizabeth II design shown) |
| Designer | Mary Gillick |
| Design date | 1953 |
| Reverse | |
| Design | Golden Hind (Britannia on earlier mintages) |
| Designer | Thomas Humphrey Paget |
| Design date | 1937 |
"Halfpenny" was colloquially written ha'penny, and "1+1/2d" was spoken as "a penny ha’penny" /ə ˈpɛni ˈheɪpni/ or three ha'pence /θriː ˈheɪpəns/. "Halfpenny" is a rare example of a word in the English language that has a silent 'f'.
Before Decimal Day in 1971, sterling used the Carolingian monetary system, under which the largest unit was a pound divided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence. Each penny was further divided into 4 farthings, thus a pound contained 480 halfpennies and a shilling contained 24 halfpennies.