View source for Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin)

{{Short description|Former coin of the United Kingdom and other territories}}
{{About|the British coin minted between 1672 and 1967|the decimal halfpenny|Halfpenny (British decimal coin)|the earlier history of the halfpenny|History of the halfpenny}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox coin
| Country             = United Kingdom
| Denomination        = One [[£sd|old]] halfpenny
| Value               = {{sfrac||1|2}}''d'' [[Pound sterling|sterling]]
| Unit                =
| Mass                = (1860–1967) 5.67
| Diameter            = (1860–1967) 25.48
| Thickness           =
| Edge                = Plain
| Composition         = (1672–1860) Copper<br/>(1860–1967) Bronze
| Years of Minting    = 1672–1967
| Catalog Number      =
| Obverse             = British_pre-decimal_halfpenny_1967_obverse.png
| Obverse Design      = Profile of the monarch ([[Elizabeth II]] design shown)
| Obverse Designer    = [[Mary Gillick]]
| Obverse Design Date = 1953
| Reverse             = British_pre-decimal_halfpenny_1967_reverse.png
| Reverse Design      = [[Golden Hind]] ([[Britannia]] on earlier mintages)
| Reverse Designer    = [[Thomas Humphrey Paget]]
| Reverse Design Date = 1937
}}
The [[United Kingdom|British]] [[£sd|pre-decimal]] '''halfpenny''', (pronounced {{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|eɪ|p|ən|i}}), once abbreviated ''ob.'' (from the Latin 'obulus'),<ref name=UON>{{cite web |url=https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/manuscriptsandspecialcollections/researchguidance/weightsandmeasures/money.aspx |title= University of Nottingham ''Manuscripts and Special Collections'' 'Research Guidance' Weights and Measures § Money |access-date=12 March 2014}}</ref> is a discontinued denomination of [[Coins of the United Kingdom|sterling coinage]] worth {{sfrac|1|480}} of one [[Pound (currency)|pound]], {{sfrac|1|24}} of one [[Shilling (British coin)|shilling]], or {{sfrac|1|2}} of one [[Penny (British pre-decimal coin)|penny]]. Originally the halfpenny was minted in copper, but after 1860 it was minted in bronze. In the run-up to [[Decimal Day|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).<ref name= OCC>{{cite web |url=https://onlinecoin.club/Coins/CoinType/United_Kingdom/Halfpenny_pre_decimal/ |title= Halfpenny (Pre-decimal), ''Coin Type from United Kingdom'' |access-date=21 April 2017}}</ref> 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.<ref name=RMM>{{cite web |url=http://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/coins/british-coinage/old-denominations/halfpenny-and-farthing/index.html |title=Halfpenny and Farthing |publisher=Royal Mint Museum |access-date=10 May 2014 |archive-date=6 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106230747/http://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/coins/british-coinage/old-denominations/halfpenny-and-farthing/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Like all British coinage, it bore the portrait of the monarch on the obverse.<ref>Michael, Thomas and Cuhaj, George S. [https://books.google.com/books?id=Cwvl1ZseZW8C ''Collecting World Coins: Circulating Issues 1901 – Present'']. Krause Publications, 2001.</ref>
"Halfpenny" was colloquially written ''ha'penny'', and "{{sfrac|1|1|2}}''d''" was spoken as "a penny ha’penny" {{IPAc-en|ə|_|ˈ|p|ɛ|n|i|_|ˈ|h|eɪ|p|n|i}} or ''three ha'pence'' {{IPAc-en|θ|r|iː|_|ˈ|h|eɪ|p|ən|s}}.<ref>{{OED|Halfpenny}}</ref> "Halfpenny" is a rare example of a word in the [[English language]] that has a [[Silent letter|silent]] '[[f]]'.
Before [[Decimal Day]] in 1971, sterling used the [[Carolingian monetary system]], under which the largest unit was a [[£sd|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.
==Design==
[[File:British pre-decimal halfpenny 1936 reverse.png|thumb|left|Original reverse: 1717–1936]]
The original [[Obverse and reverse|reverse]] of the bronze version of the coin, designed by [[Leonard Charles Wyon]], is a seated [[Britannia]], holding a trident, with the words {{small|HALF PENNY}} to either side. Issues before 1895 also feature a lighthouse to Britannia's left and a ship to her right. Various minor adjustments to the level of the sea depicted around Britannia, and the angle of her trident were also made over the years. Some issues feature toothed edges, while others feature beading.
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.
During Victoria's reign, the halfpenny was first issued with the so-called 'bun head', or 'draped bust' of Queen Victoria on the obverse. The inscription around the bust read {{Small|VICTORIA D G BRITT REG F D}}. This was replaced in 1895 by the 'old head', or 'veiled bust'. The inscription on these coins read {{Small|VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP}}.
[[File:Cover of Illustrated Chips 298 (1896).jpg|thumb|upright |''[[Illustrated Chips]]'' comic in 1896, sold for a halfpenny]]
Coins issued during the reign of [[Edward VII]] feature his likeness and bear the inscription {{Small|EDWARDVS VII DEI GRA BRITT OMN REX FID DEF IND IMP}}. Similarly, those issued during the reign of [[George V]] feature his likeness and bear the inscription {{Small|GEORGIVS V DEI GRA BRITT OMN REX FID DEF IND IMP}}.
A halfpenny of King [[Edward VIII]] (1936) does exist, dated 1937, but technically it is a [[pattern coin]] i.e. one produced for official approval; it would probably have been due to receive this approval at about the time that the King abdicated. The obverse shows a left-facing portrait of the king (who considered this to be his better side, and consequently broke the tradition of alternating the direction in which the monarch faces on coins – some viewed this as indicating bad luck for the reign); the inscription on the obverse is {{Small|EDWARDVS VIII D G BR OMN REX F D IND IMP}}.
The pattern coin of Edward VIII and regular issue halfpennies of [[George VI]] and [[Elizabeth II]] feature a redesigned reverse displaying [[Francis Drake|Sir Francis Drake]]'s ship the ''[[Golden Hind]]''.
[[File:A 1937 half penny of England, from personal collection, photographed by Yogabrata Chakraborty, on January 6, 2023.jpg|thumb|A 1937 halfpenny (reverse), depicting the Golden Hind]]
George VI issue coins feature the inscription {{Small|GEORGIVS VI D G BR OMN REX F D IND IMP}} before 1949, and {{Small|GEORGIVS VI D G BR OMN REX FIDEI DEF}} thereafter. Unlike the penny, halfpennies were minted throughout the early reign of Elizabeth II, bearing the inscription {{Small|ELIZABETH II DEI GRA BRITT OMN REGINA F D}} in 1953, and {{Small|ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F D}} thereafter.
==Mintages==
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%; background:inherit"
|-
! Victoria (Veiled bust)
|-
|{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
*1895 ~ 3,032,000
*1896 ~ 9,143,000
*1897 ~ 8,690,000
*1898 ~ 8,595,000
*1899 ~ 12,108,000
*1900 ~ 13,805,000
*1901 ~ 11,127,000
{{div col end}}
|}
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%; background:inherit"
|-
! Edward VII
|-
|{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
*1902 ~ 13,673,000
*1903 ~ 11,451,000
*1904 ~ 8,131,000
*1905 ~ 10,125,000
*1906 ~ 11,101,000
*1907 ~ 16,849,000
*1908 ~ 16,620,999
*1909 ~ 8,279,000
*1910 ~ 10,770,000
{{div col end}}
|}
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%; background:inherit"
|-
! George V
|-
|{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
*1911 ~ 12,571,000
*1912 ~ 21,186,000
*1913 ~ 17,476,000
*1914 ~ 20,289,000
*1915 ~ 21,563,000
*1916 ~ 39,386,000
*1917 ~ 38,245,000
*1918 ~ 22,321,000
*1919 ~ 28,104,000
*1920 ~ 35,147,000
*1921 ~ 28,027,000
*1922 ~ 10,735,000
*1923 ~ 12,266,000
*1924 ~ 13,971,000
*1925 ~ 12,216,000
*1926 ~ 6,712,000
*1927 ~ 15,590,000
*1928 ~ 20,935,000
*1929 ~ 25,680,000
*1930 ~ 12,533,000
*1931 ~ 16,138,000
*1932 ~ 14,448,000
*1933 ~ 10,580,000
*1934 ~ 7,704,000
*1935 ~ 12,180,000
*1936 ~ 22,009,000
{{div col end}}
|}
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%; background:inherit"
|-
! George VI
|-
|{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
*1937 ~ 24,504,000
*1938 ~ 40,320,000
*1939 ~ 28,925,000
*1940 ~ 32,162,000
*1941 ~ 45,120,000
*1942 ~ 71,909,000
*1943 ~ 76,200,000
*1944 ~ 81,840,000
*1945 ~ 57,000,000
*1946 ~ 22,726,000
*1947 ~ 21,226,000
*1948 ~ 26,947,000
*1949 ~ 24,744,000
*1950 ~ 24,154,000
*1951 ~ 14,868,000
*1952 ~ 33,278,000
{{div col end}}
|}
{| class="toccolours collapsible collapsed" style="width:100%; background:inherit"
|-
! Elizabeth II
|-
|{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
*1953 ~ 8,926,000
*1954 ~ 19,375,000
*1955 ~ 18,799,000
*1956 ~ 21,799,000
*1957 ~ 43,684,000
*1958 ~ 62,318,000
*1959 ~ 79,176,000
*1960 ~ 41,340,000
*1962 ~ 41,779,000
*1963 ~ 45,036,000
*1964 ~ 78,583,000
*1965 ~ 98,083,000
*1966 ~ 95,289,000
*1967 ~ 146,491,000
*1970 ~ 750,000 (souvenir sets only)
{{div col end}}
|}
==Terminology==
'''[[wikt:ha'porth|Ha’porth]]''': [[British English]] i.e. ''''halfpenny-worth'''' or ''''halfpennyworth'''' pronounced {{IPAc-en|'|h|eɪ|p|ə|θ}}.<ref name=LEX>{{cite web |url=https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/halfpennyworth |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191002034238/https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/halfpennyworth |url-status=dead |archive-date=2019-10-02 |title= Halfpennyworth (with IPA and audio files)|publisher= Lexico: Powered by Oxford}} (via Internet Archive WayBack Machine: 2 Oct 2019)</ref><ref name=FDME>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w1WuDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22doesn%27t+make+a+halfpennyworth+of+difference%22&pg=PA363 |title= Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage: ''Page 363, No. 6 ''|date= 26 March 2015|publisher= Oxford University Press |isbn= 9780191064944|access-date=26 March 2015}}</ref>
''In literal use'' usually written out in full<ref name= JWPB>{{cite web |url=http://phonetic-blog.blogspot.com/2012/04/ |title= Prof. John Wells's Phonetic Blog}}''{{'}}Did I hear you "aright"?{{'}}''</ref><ref name= PJW>{{cite web |url=https://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/wells/ |title= Professor John Wells, University College London}}PhD General Linguistics, UCL Psychology & Language Sciences</ref><ref name= JCW>{{cite web |url=https://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/wells/philsoc-bio.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109155850/https://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/wells/philsoc-bio.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-11-09 |title= University College London Dept. of Psychology and Language Sciences, Faculty of Brain Sciences}}Professor Emeritus John Christopher Wells' C.V. (via Internet Archive)</ref> although still ''never pronounced phonetically'':<ref name=GRLP>{{cite web |url=https://www.quora.com/Why-does-the-word-halfpennyworth-only-have-1-syllable |title= Why does the word Halfpennyworth only have One Syllable?: It doesn't. Historically it was pronounced with Two.|publisher= Gareth Roberts, Linguistics Professor, PhD, U. of Edinburgh (2010)|access-date=15 May 2017}}</ref><ref name=GRPU>{{cite web |url=https://live-sas-www-ling.pantheon.sas.upenn.edu/people/groberts |title= University of Pennsylvania, Department of Linguistics: Assistant Professor Gareth Roberts |access-date=11 June 2019}}</ref><ref name=DRGR>{{cite web |url=http://www.drgarethroberts.com/ |title= Dr Gareth Roberts, PhD Linguistics, The University of Edinburgh, 2010 |access-date=17 July 2014}}</ref> e.g. "A halfpennyworth of chips."<ref name= BGF>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njzDPQEcPoI&t=1m7s  |title= Blackadder Goes Forth ''"Corporal Punishment"'' (Series 4 No. 2)|via= [[YouTube]]}}{{dead link|date=September 2023}}</ref>'' 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."<ref name= BMF>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/2Hb6JkGoZnA Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20191207222653/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hb6JkGoZnA Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hb6JkGoZnA&t=1m54s |title= Bless Me Father ''"Baptism of Fire"'' (Series 1 Episode 1)|via= [[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> "…and saying it doesn't make a halfpennyworth of difference!"<ref name= ALOL>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/dUrBaT_ChGc Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200228170919/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUrBaT_ChGc Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUrBaT_ChGc&t=2m37s |title= Talking Heads ''"A lady of Letters" With Patricia Routledge'' (Part 3)|via= [[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}.</ref><ref name= THAB>{{cite web |url=https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7nri0n |title= Talking Heads by Alan Bennett ''No. 3 "A lady of Letters"'' (Runtime 33.24)|date= 8 November 2019}} circa 22 min. & 33. sec. in.</ref> (from [[Alan Bennett|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 {{sfrac|1|2}}p)—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."<ref name=JWPB/><ref name=PJW/><ref name=JCW/><ref name= BBCB>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/RddS-kpCCzU Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200630102056/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RddS-kpCCzU&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RddS-kpCCzU&t=2m27s |title= BBC Breakfast ''featurette on "Ethel and Ernest"'' (Originally aired 2016).|via= [[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
==See also==
{{Portal|Money|Numismatics|United Kingdom}}
* [[Shove ha'penny]]
{{-}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[https://onlinecoin.club/Coins/CoinType/United_Kingdom/Halfpenny_pre_decimal/ Halfpenny (Pre-decimal), Coin Type from United Kingdom] – Online Coin Club
{{Commons category|Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin)|Halfpenny}}
{{British coinage}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Halfpenny}}
[[Category:Coins of Great Britain]]
[[Category:Pre-decimalisation coins of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Coins of the United Kingdom]]