1/2 Penny Prince Edward's Island - Self government and free trade

Prince Edward Island's 1855 halfpenny was struck at the height of the colony's bitter dispute over the land question — absentee British landlords still controlled most of the island under a leasehold system dating to the 1767 lottery grant, and the assembly was pushing hard for responsible government and control over its own trade policy. The coin's production was contracted to Heaton's Birmingham mint, a common arrangement for British colonial issues that lacked local striking facilities.

The PE-7A designation distinguishes this variety within a series that saw multiple die states. Breton 918 has long been the standard reference point for Maritime collectors.