The 1806 Halfpenny - George III
There had been a need for a circulation halfpenny since the reign of Charles II but due to the (relatively) high production costs mintage was sporadic. In 1797 the Royal Mint asked Matthew Boulton to produce copper coins at his Soho Mint in Birmingham and the Fourth Issue coinage included the halfpenny (and also twopence, penny and farthing).
The 1806 halfpenny had a diameter of 30mm and weight of 12.6g. The design was in production from 1806 to 1807. SCBC: 3781.
There are a number of interesting variants. On the main reverse the olive branch may have no berries or 3 berries. The 3 berries is more expensive. The word SOHO may appear on the Reverse. Besides this, the coin was manufactured in a Copper Proof, Bronze Proof, Gilt Proof and a very rare Silver Proof, all of which are considerably more expensive than the normal copper coin.
The Obverse, by Conrad Heinrich Küchler, had the image of King George III facing right, laureated but with shorter hair than in the previous designs.
The Reverse, also by Conrad Heinrich Küchler, shows Britannia seated holding a trident and shield on her left, and holding an olive branch with her right hand. Legend "BRITANNIA" above. A ship is to the left in the background. You may see the word "SOHO" below and to the right of the shield.
Image credit: The Royal Mint
There had been a need for a circulation halfpenny since the reign of Charles II but due to the (relatively) high production costs mintage was sporadic. In 1797 the Royal Mint asked Matthew Boulton to produce copper coins at his Soho Mint in Birmingham and the Fourth Issue coinage included the halfpenny (and also twopence, penny and farthing).
The 1806 halfpenny had a diameter of 30mm and weight of 12.6g. The design was in production from 1806 to 1807. SCBC: 3781.
There are a number of interesting variants. On the main reverse the olive branch may have no berries or 3 berries. The 3 berries is more expensive. The word SOHO may appear on the Reverse. Besides this, the coin was manufactured in a Copper Proof, Bronze Proof, Gilt Proof and a very rare Silver Proof, all of which are considerably more expensive than the normal copper coin.
The Obverse, by Conrad Heinrich Küchler, had the image of King George III facing right, laureated but with shorter hair than in the previous designs.
The Reverse, also by Conrad Heinrich Küchler, shows Britannia seated holding a trident and shield on her left, and holding an olive branch with her right hand. Legend "BRITANNIA" above. A ship is to the left in the background. You may see the word "SOHO" below and to the right of the shield.
Image credit: The Royal Mint
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Mintage: Not known
Minted at The Royal Mint.
George III (1760-1820)
Born on 4 June 1738 to Frederick, Prince of Wales and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha in the house of Hanover, George III reigned for over 59 years.George had 15 children - nine sons and six daughters. In the latter part of his life George suffered from a mental illness and his son George became Prince Regent from 1811-1820 and ruled on his behalf. On George III's death, the Prince Regent became George IV.
Note the latin spelling of George on his coins: Georgivs.
Category: Halfpenny
The halfpenny coin was introduced in 1672 and was minted until 1984 when inflation made it almost worthless. Worth half a penny (1/480th of One Pound), it was usually pronounced 'ape-knee'.- Weight: (1860–1967) 5.67 g
- Diameter: (1860–1967) 25.48 mm
- Edge: Plain
- Composition
- (1672–1860) Copper
- (1860–1967) Bronze
Which Mint: The Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the designated place for the UK to mint coins. It dates back well over 1000 years and is a Government-owned company. Formed in the reign of Alfred the Great about the year 886, during the period 1279-1812 it was generally referred to as The Tower Mint as it was housed at the Tower of London. The Master of The Royal Mint has included famous figures such as Sir Isaac Newton.
Since 2010 it has operated as Royal Mint Ltd, a company owned by HM Treasury, under an exclusive contract to supply all coinage for the UK although it also produces medals and coins for other countries. It is currently located at Llantrisant, Wales.
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
The United Kingdom (UK) is the Union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is often refered to as Great Britain (GBR). It has a long, rich history. The orignal coinage was Pounds, Shillings and Pence but since decimalisation on 15 February 1971, it is £1 = 100p, that is One Pound = 100 pence. The coinage of the UK is also a long history, the Royal Mint being established as long ago as 886AD when coins were hammered. Today there is perhaps 30 billion coins in circulation, and many (numismatic) collectors coins and sets are issued frequently in gold, silver and other metals.
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