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1/2 Penny - James II
| Issuer | Royal Mint (England) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1685-1687 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Laureate and draped bust of King James II facing right, engraved in the classical Roman style by John Roettier. The king's long flowing hair falls over his shoulders, rendered with fine detail typical of Restoration-era portraiture. A small square copper plug is visible at the centre of the field, characteristic of the bimetallic tin-and-copper construction of these halfpennies. The Latin legend IACOBVS · SECVNDVS · curves around the periphery. The truncation of the bust is visible at the lower field. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
James II inherited a tin halfpenny format that had been introduced under Charles II in 1684, partly as a commercial favor to Cornish tin producers who had successfully lobbied the Crown to use the metal in regal coinage. The copper plug at the center was a deliberate anti-counterfeiting measure — tin alone was too easily cast by forgers, and the bimetallic construction was difficult to replicate cheaply. It didn't work especially well in practice.
Tin corrodes aggressively in damp conditions, and surviving examples with intact surfaces are genuinely scarce. The series was abandoned after the Glorious Revolution of 1688, with William and Mary reverting to straight copper.