1/2 Crown - George II Older bust

The older bust halfcrowns of George II were struck during a period when British silver coinage was in chronic short supply — the consequence of decades of undervalued silver relative to gold under the prevailing bimetallic ratio, which drove silver out of circulation through Gresham's Law. By the 1740s, worn and clipped older issues still dominated everyday trade despite official efforts to address the gap.

Spink references 3694 through 3696 distinguish minor die variations across the run, with the 1745 Lima issue — struck from silver captured by Commodore Anson's squadron from Spanish vessels off the South American coast — representing the most historically specific piece in the series.