1/2 Penny - Edward VI 1st period

Edward VI's first coinage period, running from his accession in early 1547 through 1549, was among the most debased in English history — a deliberate policy inherited from Henry VIII and enthusiastically continued by the Lord Protector Somerset's regime to generate revenue. The halfpenny of this period, however, is a partial exception: struck in silver rather than the heavily alloyed metal used for the larger denominations, though at a fineness considerably below the old sterling standard.

Surviving examples are genuinely scarce. The flan weight alone — barely a fifth of a gram — meant these pieces were easily lost, bent, or simply dismissed as worthless as debasement accelerated.