The United Kingdom, British half crown was a denomination of Coins of the United Kingdom, sterling coinage worth of one Pound (currency), pound, or two shillings and six Penny (British pre-decimal coin), pence (abbreviated "2/6", familiarly "two and six"), or 30 Penny (British pre-decimal coin), (old) pence. The half Crown (English coin), crown was first issued in 1549, in the reign of Edward VI of England, Edward VI. No half crowns were issued in the reign of Mary I of England, Mary, but from the reign of Elizabeth I of England, Elizabeth I half crowns were issued in every reign except that of Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, Edward VIII, until the coins were discontinued in 1970.
The half crown was Legal tender#Demonetization, 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 was made Lord Protector of England, half crowns were issued bearing his portrait depicting him wearing a laurel wreath in the manner of a Roman Emperor. The half crown did not display its value on the reverse until 1893. In the 20th century a slang term for the coin was "half-a-dollar".
History of the half crown by reign
*Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII 1526: the first English half crown was struck in gold.
*Edward VI of England, King Edward VI 1551: issued the first half crown in silver. The coin was dated and showed the king riding a horse.
*Mary I of England, 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.
*Elizabeth I of England, Queen Elizabeth I: gold half crowns were issued again. At the end of the reign silver half crowns were issued.
*James I of England, King James I: gold half crowns were issued again. During the reign silver half crowns were issued.
*Charles I of England, King Charles I: silver half crowns were issued, including those struck as obsidional money, money of necessity during the English Civil War, 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.
*Charles II of England, King Charles II 1663–1685: silver half crowns were issued, and this period saw the end of the hammered issue of half crowns.
*James II of England, King James II 1685–1688: silver half crown.
*William III of England, King William III & Mary II of England, Queen Mary II 1689–1694: silver half crown.
*William III of England 1694–1702: silver half crown.
*Anne, Queen of Great Britain, Queen Anne 1702–1714: silver half crown.
*George I of Great Britain, King George I 1714–1727: silver half crown.
*George II of Great Britain, King George II 1727–1760: silver half crown.
*George III of Great Britain, King George III 1760–1820: silver half crown.
*George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV 1820–1830: silver half crown.
*William IV of the United Kingdom, King William IV 1830–1837: silver half crown.
*Queen Victoria 1837–1901: silver half crown.
*Edward VII, King Edward VII 1902–1910: silver half crown.
*George V, King George V 1910–1936: silver half crown, sterling silver (92½% silver) until 1919, then 50% silver.
*Edward VIII, King Edward VIII 1936: 50% silver half crown. Not issued for circulation.
*George VI, King George VI 1937–1952: 50% silver half crowns were issued until 1946 when the metal was changed to cupro-nickel.
*Elizabeth II, Queen Elizabeth II 1953–1967: the last half crown for general circulation was issued in 1967, and the coin was withdrawn in 1970, before Decimal Day, decimalisation. Proof sets of £sd coins, including the halfcrown, were issued by the Royal Mint, bearing the date 1970.
Size and weight
From 1816, in the reign of George III, half crown coins had a diameter of 32 mm and a weight of 14.14 grams (defined as troy ounce), dimensions which remained the same for the half crown until decimalisation in 1971.
Mintages
The mintage figures below are taken from the annual UK publication ''Coin Yearbook''.
Gallery
File:Half crown of Edward VI (r. 1547–53) MET DP100457.jpg, Edward VI half-crown, 1552
File:NARC-03DB91, james I half crown reverse gold (FindID 536070).jpg, Gold half crown of James I
File:Charles I half crown (FindID 455695).jpg, Charles I half-crown
File:Cromwellcoin.jpg, Half crown coin of Oliver Cromwell, 1658
File:GREAT BRITAIN -CHARLES II, HALF CROWN 1680 a - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg, Half crown of Charles II, 1680
File:James II Half crown obverse (FindID 55685).jpg, Half crown of James II, 1687
File:GREAT BRITAIN, WILLIAM III, MARY II 1691 -HALF CROWN b - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg, Half crown of 1691: William III and Mary II
File:PUBLIC-3CFDCF William III Half Crown (1696) (FindID 795243).jpg, Half crown of William III, 1696
File:Half-crown of Anne.jpg, Half crown of Queen Anne
File:George2coin.jpg, Half crown of George II, 1746
File:George3coin.jpg, Half crown of George III, 1816
File:George4coin.jpg, Half crown of George IV, 1821
File:GREAT BRITAIN, WILLIAM IV 1836 -HALF CROWN b - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg, Half crown of William IV, 1836
File:GREAT BRITAIN, QUEEN VICTORIA-1885 HALF CROWN b - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg, Half-crown of Victoria, 1885
File:GREAT BRITAIN -VICTORIA HALF CROWN 1888 ab - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg, Half-crown of Victoria, 1888
File:1905 Edward VII Halfcrown (reverse) UNCIRCULATED.JPG, The reverse of the 1905, Edward VII, half crown
File:GREAT BRITAIN, GEORGE V, 1930 -HALF CROWN b - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg, George V half crown, 1930
File:GREAT BRITAIN, GEORGE VI -HALF CROWN 1948 b - Flickr - woody1778a.jpg, George VI half crown, 1948
File:1953 half crown obverse.jpg, The obverse of the 1953, Elizabeth II, half crown
File:1953 half crown reverse.jpg, The reverse of the 1953, Elizabeth II, half crown
See also
* Half crown (Irish coin)
References
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.
– A full history of the half crown.
Halfcrown, Coin Type from United Kingdom – Online Coin Club
{{DEFAULTSORT:Half Crown
Pre-decimalisation coins of the United Kingdom
Coins of the United Kingdom
Coins of Great Britain
Coins of England
Crown (currency)