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1/2 Penny - George V 1st portrait
| Issuer | Royal Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1911-1925 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Penny (1⁄480) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | GEORGIVS V DEI GRA:BRITT:OMN:REX FID:DEF:IND:IMP (Translation: George the Fifth by the Grace of God King of all the Britains Defender of the Faith Emperor of India) |
| Reverse description | The seated allegorical figure of Britannia faces right, holding a trident in her left hand and resting her right hand upon a shield bearing the Union flag. Waves of the sea appear behind her to the left. The denomination HALF PENNY appears in the upper legend, and the date is placed in the exergue below the figure. The design is contained within a toothed border, following the traditional Britannia reverse type engraved by Leonard Charles Wyon. |
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| Additional information |
George V's first portrait, by Bertram Mackennal, was also used on the sovereign and other denominations from 1911 — but the halfpenny carried it through a period of serious monetary disruption. Wartime copper shortages after 1914 briefly threatened bronze coinage production, and the Royal Mint diverted significant resources toward military materiel. Mintages varied sharply across the run, with some years seeing production cut to a fraction of peacetime levels.
The portrait was retired in 1926 in favor of a modified effigy with a smaller head, a change driven partly by aesthetic criticism from the British Art in Industry movement.