This article is about the history of the pre-decimal British and English halfpenny coin. For the decimal halfpenny, see Halfpenny (British decimal coin). For the British halfpenny minted between 1717 and 1967, see Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin).
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "History of the halfpenny" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(June 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
The obverse of a halfpenny, showing Edward VII
The British halfpenny coin was worth 1/480th of a pound sterling. At first in its 700-year history it was made from silver, but as the value of silver increased the coin was made from base metals. It was finally abandoned in 1969 as part of the process of decimalising the British currency. "Halfpenny", colloquially written ha'penny, was pronounced /ˈheɪpəni/HAY-pə-nee; "1 ½d" was spoken as a penny ha'penny/əˈpɛniˈheɪpni/ or three ha'pence/θriːˈheɪpəns/.[1]
It was long considered that the first halfpenny coins were produced in the reign of King Edward I (1272–1307), with earlier requirements for small change being provided by "cut coinage"; that is, pennies cut into halves or quarters, usually along the cross which formed a prominent part of the reverse of the coin. However, in recent years metal detectorists have discovered a few halfpennies of Kings Henry I (1100–1135) and Henry III (1216–1272) – these are extremely rare and very little is known about them; they have all been found in the London area, where they circulated alongside the more common cut coinage, and while it is possible that these coins were patterns or trials, it is clear that they did see circulation. It is possible that there are other coins or issues still to be discovered.
^"halfpenny". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
and 20 Related for: History of the halfpenny information
The British halfpenny coin was worth 1/480th of a pound sterling. At first in its 700-year history it was made from silver, but as the value of silver...
Jill Halfpenny (born 15 July 1975) is an English actress who first garnered attention playing Nicola Dobson in the coming-of-age BBC drama series Byker...
Leigh Halfpenny (born 22 December 1988) is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a fullback or wing for the Crusaders in Super Rugby. Halfpenny is the third...
version ofthe penny's design, and would continue to mirror the penny and halfpenny until after 1936. Farthings were struck in most years of Queen Victoria's...
William Halfpenny (active 1723–1755) was an English architect and builder in the first half ofthe 18th century, and prolific author of builder's pattern...
Wolverhampton Halfpenny Green Airport (ICAO: EGBO), formerly Halfpenny Green Airport and Wolverhampton Business Airport, locally Bobbington Airport, is...
100,000 or more to introduce a halfpenny rate to establish public libraries – although not to buy books). Norwich was the eleventh library to open, in 1857...
TheHalfpenny Yellow is the first postage stamp issued by the Crown Colony of Malta. Depicting Queen Victoria, it was only valid for local postage and...
"Cabinet" in the modern sense, as its members were not responsible to the Legislative Council. Fiji produced its first coins in 1934, in halfpenny, penny,...
Halfpenny Bridge is a bridge across the River Thames, at Lechlade, Gloucestershire, England. The bridge and its toll house are a Grade II listed building...
TheHalfpenny Rose Red, first issued on 1 October 1870, was the first halfpenny postage stamp issued in the United Kingdom. Thehalfpenny stamp was introduced...
a tax on newspapers was proposed in 1711. The duty eventually imposed in 1712 was a halfpenny on papers of half a sheet or less and a penny on newspapers...
Longhorns football team from 1944 through 1948. Jack Halfpenny, the son of Robert F. Halfpennyof Dallas, was a star football player at Dallas Sunset High...
4 old pence ("d."). A coin of half a new penny, a halfpenny, was introduced to maintain the approximate granularity ofthe old penny, but was dropped...
Thehistoryofthe Falkland Islands (Spanish: Islas Malvinas) goes back at least five hundred years, with active exploration and colonisation only taking...
Chelsea Halfpenny. Since her inception Amy has been central to main storylines and has been played as the serial's rebellious teenager. Halfpenny has said...
Rubidge Halfpenny, Martin (19 November 2008). "Chainsaw death was 'carefully thought through suicide'". The Independent. London. Archived from the original...
become the property ofthe pawnbroker. Pledges above 10s are redeemable until sale, which must be by public auction. In addition to one halfpenny for the pawn...
in the form of a 4d stamp in 1855, printed by De La Rue, and subsequently became the standard type. 1⁄2d (halfpenny) and 1+1⁄2d (penny halfpenny – pronounced...
Global Information
