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Australia 1945 Y. Halfpenny

Mint:Perth Mintage:Part 3494,400 - Estimate 1,397,760 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 Bm - 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: 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
 
 
$3
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$5
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$8
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
4
 
$10
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
1
 
$15
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$20
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
3
 
$30
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
1
 
$50
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$75
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
1
 
$100
+
NGC
1
 
PCGS
9
 
$150
+
NGC
1
 
PCGS
18
 
$250
+
NGC
1
 
PCGS
14
 
$500
+
NGC
1
 
PCGS
 
 
$750
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$1500
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
Y
RB
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
"
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$12
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$20
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$30
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$40
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$60
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$100
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$125
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$175
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$275
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$600
+
NGC
1
 
PCGS
3
 
$1000
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$2000
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$4000
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
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
 
 
$100
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$125
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$175
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$275
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$600
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$1000
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$2000
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
$4000
+
NGC
 
 
PCGS
 
 
-
+
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:
As the senior Australian Mint, Melbourne followed the practice of the Royal Mint (London) of not using a mint mark on its own coins, but of marking the dies provided to other mints. However, in 1945 and again in 1951 not all the dies supplied to the Perth Mint carried the designated 'Y.' mark. Perhaps the explanation is that in 1945, Perth was the only mint to strike halfpennies, and so it is was initially thought unnecessary to mark the mintage. If that was the case, then it is likely that some 'official' intervention caused the re-instatement of the 'Y.' mint mark on the later struck coins. In 1951 the London Mint received a late request to strike Australian coins after a lapse of 36 years. It would have been made aware of unmarked 1951 halfpennies that had already been struck by the Perth Mint, as it was forced for the first time to adopt a new 'PL' mint mark on its production. The Royal Mint would have insisted on the re-instatement of the 'Y.' mint mark on the later struck Perth 1951 halfpennies.