The half crown was a denomination of British money worth two shillings and sixpence, being one-eighth of a pound. The half crown was first issued in 1549, in the reign of Edward VI. No half crowns were issued in the reign of Mary, but from the reign of Elizabeth I half crowns were issued in every reign except Edward VIII, until the coins were discontinued in 1967. The half crown was demonetised (ahead of other pre-decimal coins) on 1 January 1970, the year before the United Kingdom adopted decimal currency on Decimal Day. The halfcrown was a large coin, from 1816 to it’s final minting having a diameter of 32mm and weight of 14.1g. In pre-decimalised Britain when the Crown was essentially a commemorative coin, the half crown was the largest denomination coin in circulation and had considerable spending power. 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.

You can expect to pay anywhere from a few quid to well into the hundreds of pounds for an example from this era, depending on condition and the year of mintage. Edward VII Half Crown King George V 1910–1936: silver half crown, sterling silver (92½% silver) until 1919, then 50% silver.The half crown was minted for approximately 263 years, with many being hammered or milled before that.

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 made himself Lord Protector of England, half crowns were issued bearing his semi-royal portrait. George Kruger Gray was an English artist, best remembered for his designs of coinage and stained glass windows. Commonwealth of England: Oliver Cromwell silver half crowns were issued. During the years 1656 and 1658 milled half crowns were issued of Oliver Cromwell. King Charles II 1663–1685: silver half crowns were issued, and this period saw the end of the hammered issue of half crowns.Half crowns were first issued around 1549 in gold or silver. It was then issued by the majority of Monarchs (plus Oliver Cromwell) all the way through to Elizabeth II. The last standard mintage was in 1967 and the coin was officially demonetised in 1970, one year before full decimalisation. A proof half crown was released in 1970. From 1816, in the reign of George III, half crown coins had a diameter of 32mm and a weight of 14.14 grams (defined as 5⁄ 11 troy ounce [2]), dimensions which remained the same for the half crown until decimalisation in 1971. [3] Mintages [ edit ] There is a lot of variation in sold prices achieved, which highlights why when buying or selling a coin such as a half crown it is definitely worthwhile to do your research first. Auction Prices Frequencies show the percentage of Numista users who own each year or variety among all the users who own this coin. Since some users own several versions, the sum may be greater than 100%. Get this coin

The half crown was first issued in 1549 with a value of two shillings and sixpence or one-eighth of a pound. Category: Half-CrownsThe half crown was a British coin which was valued at "2/6" (two shilling and sixpence) – 12½ pence in modern currency. It was literally half the value of the Crown. The British half crown was a denomination of sterling coinage worth 1⁄ 8 of one pound, or two shillings and six pence (abbreviated " 2/6", familiarly " two and six"), or 30 (old) pence. The half crown was first issued in 1549, in the reign of Edward VI. No half crowns were issued in the reign of Mary, but from the reign of Elizabeth I half crowns were issued in every reign except that of Edward VIII, until the coins were discontinued in 1970.There a millions of half crowns out there, with numerous different designs, compositions and historical contexts behind them. Due to this, it becomes extremely difficult to give an answer as to how much a half crown is worth in generic terms. Since being demonetised, the half crown has become a highly collectable coin, with values ranging from less than one pound to thousands depending on the year the coin was minted.

Let’s take a look at some examples so you can get an idea of why it is so difficult to summarise the value of a half crown today in one blog post. George III Half Crown This further adds to the argument that the variance in values of half crowns can be very large and that only a specialist can give you a realistic value. George VI Wartime Half CrownAfterwards, Elizabeth I took to the throne between 1558 and 1603, in which during this reign and every reign thereafter until 1970 – excluding only Edward VIII – half crowns were issued. It was in 1970 that the half crown was finally demonetized, the year before decimalisation. Design of the Half Crown In this article, we’ll explore the history of the half crown and give some examples of how much they can be worth. History of the Half Crown