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1/2 Farthing - Victoria 1st portrait, incl. Colonial
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1839-1856 |
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| Composition | Copper |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A crowned numeral denomination occupies the central field, with the date positioned below. Floral emblems of the United Kingdom — a rose, thistle, and shamrock — appear beneath the date on most issues, symbolising England, Scotland, and Ireland respectively; however, 1839-dated coins bear only a rose below the date. The denomination legend is inscribed in two words across the upper portion of the reverse. |
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| Additional information |
The half farthing was retained through Victoria's early reign primarily for use in Ceylon, where it circulated as an equivalent to the local two-thirds of a cent. By the 1840s it had effectively ceased to function as everyday currency in Britain itself — too small in purchasing power to be practical. Parliament formally demonetized it for domestic use in 1869, though production had already tapered off well before that.
The 1839 issue included a proof striking for collectors, part of a broader set produced that year coinciding with the first year of Victorian coinage.