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Australia 1938 Halfpenny

Mint:Melbourne Mintage:7,401,600 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 Am - London (melbourne 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: None
Designer: William Henry James Blakemore (no attribution)
Design:'ONE HALF PENNY' surrounded by 90 beads contained within concentric circles
Legend:• COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA •
Denticle Count:148 teeth
Mint mark: None
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
 
 
$3
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$5
+
NGC
2
 
PCGS
1
 
$8
+
NGC
1
 
PCGS
1
 
$10
+
NGC
1
 
PCGS
 
 
$12
+
NGC
1
 
PCGS
2
 
$15
+
NGC
1
 
PCGS
9
 
$20
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$30
+
NGC
4
 
PCGS
1
 
$40
+
NGC
3
 
PCGS
21
 
$50
+
NGC
3
 
PCGS
34
 
$75
+
NGC
3
 
PCGS
18
 
$125
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
1
 
$250
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$400
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$750
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
Y
RB
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$10
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$12
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$15
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$20
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$30
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$40
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$50
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$75
+
NGC
2
 
PCGS
3
 
$100
+
NGC
7
 
PCGS
40
 
$150
+
NGC
4
 
PCGS
65
2
$300
+
NGC
1
 
PCGS
3
 
$500
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$1000
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$1500
+
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
 
 
$40
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$50
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$75
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$100
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$150
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$300
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$500
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$1000
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$1500
+
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 March 2024
Notes:
King George V died in January, 1936 and Edward VIII ascended the throne. The London Mint produced obverse master tools (hubs and dies) for Australia featuring the new monarch for all denominations, but on the abdication of the King these were destroyed. No Australian coins were struck with an Edward VIII obverse but hubs for the penny and threepence were sent to Australia and their destruction was confirmed by letter on December 19, 1936. In 1937 patterns were struck to test new obverse and reverse designs. These comprised double and single sided patterns for the penny, threepence, shilling and florin which all featured new reverses. No 1937 halfpenny or sixpence patterns are known to exist and coincidentally when the first circulating coins of George VI were introduced in February, 1938 the halfpenny and sixpence kept their old designs. It was probably the initial intention to keep one of each of the reverse design types to pay homage to the earlier coinage but in an apparent change of heart there was a change to the halfpenny design sometime in 1939.