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Australia 1951 Y. Halfpenny

Mint:Perth Mintage:Part 29,422,080 - Estimate 2,650,000 Milling:Plain
Weight:5.67 grams Diameter:25.5 mm Composition:97% Copper, 2.5% Zinc, 0.5% Tin
Click to enlarge
Wear
Obverse 5 - English (melbourne modified)
Click to enlarge
Wear
Reverse B - London
Designer: Thomas Hugh Paget (Initials 'HP' raised below truncation)
Design:Left facing profile of George VI
Legend:GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX FIDEI DEF .
Denticle Count:149 teeth
Mint mark: None
Characteristics:
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
Mint mark: '.' after 'Y' of '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
 
 
$2
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$3
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$5
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$10
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$15
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$30
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$40
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$50
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$75
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$125
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$250
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$400
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$750
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$1500
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
Y
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
 
 
$20
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$40
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$50
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$60
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$100
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$150
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$300
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$500
+
NGC
1
 
PCGS
 
 
$1000
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$1750
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$3000
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
Y
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
 
 
$50
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$60
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$100
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$150
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$300
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$500
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$1000
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$1750
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$2500
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
Y
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 April 2023
Notes:
1951 marked the pinnacle of Australian halfpenny production, with three mints producing a total of 41,422,800 coins of five different types (or six if you recognize the two 'PL' types). The Perth Mint struck 29,422,080 halfpennies both with and without the 'Y.' mint mark and using two different obverse dies, combinations of which resulted in the occurrence of common, scarce and rare types for the same year. The rarest of the four Perth issues, with a reported mintage of just 126,720, used the obverse introduced in 1949 which is distinguished by 146 denticles and allied it with the 'no mint mark' reverse. Another variety which aligned the 'no mint mark' reverse with a new obverse with 149 denticles accounts for less than ten percent of the overall mintage and is itself a scarce coin. In general circulation the 1951 Y. Halfpenny with the new obverse is much scarcer than the 1951 Y. Halfpenny with the old obverse which constitutes the major production run, but collectors should be aware that coins with the new obverse do turn up in high grade in disproportionate numbers having been hoarded by the noted collector Syd Hagley. The 1951 'PL' Halfpenny struck at the London Mint used the old obverse identified by 146 denticles. This indicates that the new obverse with 149 denticles was an Australian production, and probably the work of the Melbourne Mint as it is thought that the Perth Mint did not have the skills to produce dies until 1952.