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Australia 1942 I Halfpenny (Short Reverse Denticles)

Mint:Bombay Mintage:Part 6,000,009 Estimate 5,950,009 Milling:Plain
Weight:5.67 grams Diameter:25.5 mm Composition:97% Copper, 2.5% Zinc, 0.5% Tin
Click to enlarge
Wear
Obverse 3 - English
Click to enlarge
Wear
Reverse Bb - London (bombay modified)
Designer: Thomas Hugh Paget (Initials 'HP' raised below truncation)
Design:Left facing profile of George VI
Legend:GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP .
Denticle Count:147 teeth
Mint mark: 'I' under head
Designer: George Edward Kruger-Gray (Initials 'KG' raised under tail)
Design:Kangaroo facing right *
Legend:AUSTRALIA HALF PENNY
Denticle Count:106 thick & 106 thin teeth (Short)
Mint mark: '•' HALF PENNY' '•'
Characteristics:
Click on Wear to show high points first susceptible to wear
Value
BM
Ad
NP
8
Good
VG10
10
VG
F12
12
about F
F15
15
Fine
VF20
20
good F
VF25
25
about VF
VF30
30
Very Fine
VF35
35
good VF
EF40
40
about EF
EF45
45
Ext Fine
AU50
50
good EF
AU53
53
about Unc
AU55
58+
virt Unc
AU58
58-60
Uncirc
MS60
58-61
Uncirc
MS61
58-62
Uncirc
MS62
63-64
Choice Unc
MS63
64-65
near Gem
MS64
65-66
Gem
MS65
66-67
Gem
MS66
67-68
Gem
MS67
68
near Flaw
MS68
69
virt Flaw
MS69
70
Flawless
MS70
Proof
B
BV
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
BV
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
BV
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
BV
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
BV
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
BV
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
BV
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
BV
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$1
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$3
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$5
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$8
+
NGC
2
 
PCGS
1
 
$10
+
NGC
2
 
PCGS
5
 
$15
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$20
+
NGC
1
 
PCGS
 
 
$25
+
NGC
1
 
PCGS
2
 
$50
+
NGC
4
 
PCGS
14
 
$100
+
NGC
3
 
PCGS
8
 
$200
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
3
 
$400
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$750
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$1250
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
N
RB
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$3
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$5
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$10
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$12
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$20
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$25
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$40
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$60
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$125
+
NGC
2
 
PCGS
23
 
$225
+
NGC
2
 
PCGS
21
 
$500
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
5
1
$750
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$1500
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
N
R
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$25
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$40
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$60
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$125
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$225
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
1
 
$500
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
3
 
$750
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$1500
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$2500
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
N
BM
Benchmark
Ad
Adjectival
NP
NGC/PCGS
Collectable grades
Does not exist by definition

Investment grades
-
Unlikely to exist

Aspirational grades
BV
Bullion or metal value

Not known in these grades
''
Value as above
Proof
Y (Yes)
N (Not known)
Last updated March 2024
Notes:
It is not certain whether the Melbourne Mint supplied the Bombay Mint with dies for this emergency war issue, but if so it would appear that the reverse dies were not used directly. A reverse model was produced by the Bombay Mint from either a struck coin or a die of the unaltered London 1939 'Roo' Halfpenny from which it derived working dies to produce the initial coinage. In common with that coin, the 1942 I Halfpenny features a double foot on the 'Y' of 'HALFPENNY' and the same denticle count and edge alignment. However, the musculature of the kangaroo is leaner in comparison with the 1939 coin, and a raised and lidded eye has been introduced while much of the fine detail is missing, eg note the absence of the rib cage and fur lines in the ear. This 1942 I Halfpenny has a distinctively different look to the Australian halfpennies struck on the original London die, and although it is tempting to recognise it as a new reverse, we have classified it as a sub-type to acknowledge the similarities to the root die.