Half crown 527167 221997696 2008-06-27T01:48:54Z Thijs!bot 1392310 robot Adding: [[ja:半クラウン銀貨]] [[Image:cromwellcoin.jpg|thumb|200px|Half-Crown coin of [[Oliver Cromwell]], [[1658]]]] The '''half-crown''' was a denomination of [[Pound sterling|British money]] worth two [[shilling]]s and [[Sixpence (British coin)|sixpence]], being one-eighth of a [[British coin One Pound|pound]]. The half-crown was first issued in [[1549]], in the reign of [[Edward VI of England|Edward VI]]. No half-crowns were issued in the reign of [[Mary I of England|Mary]], but from the reign of [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]] half-crowns were issued in every reign except [[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom|Edward VIII]], until the coins were discontinued in [[1967]]. The half-crown was demonetised (ahead of other pre-decimal coins) on [[1 January]] [[1970]], the year before the [[United Kingdom]] adopted [[decimal currency]]. During the [[English Interregnum]] of [[1649]]-[[1660]], a republican half-crown was issued, bearing the arms of the [[Commonwealth of England]], despite monarchist associations of the coin's name. When [[Oliver Cromwell]] made himself Lord Protector of England, half-crowns were issued bearing his semi-royal portrait. The half-crown did not display its value on the reverse until 1893. In the 1800s, the silver half-crown coin was (very roughly) convertible into an [[Half dollar (United States coin)|American fifty-cent piece]], and was sometimes nicknamed the "half-dollar" in North America. ==History of the Half-crown by Reign== *[[Henry VIII of England]] 1526: The first British Half Crown was struck in gold. *[[Edward VI of England]] 1551: Issued the first Half Crown in silver. The coin was dated and showed the king riding a horse. *1554 – [[Mary of England]] married [[Philip II of Spain]] and the Half Crown was struck but was never issued for circulation. Three specimens exist. *[[Elizabeth I of England]] gold Half Crowns were issued again. At the end of the reign silver half crowns were issued. *[[James I of England]] gold Half Crowns were issued again. During the reign silver half crowns were issued. *[[Charles I of England]] Silver Half Crowns were issued, including those struck as OBSIDINAL money, money of necessity during the Civil War period. *[[Commonwealth of England]] Oliver Cromwell silver Half Crowns were issued. During years 1656 and 1658 Milled Half Crowns were issued of Oliver Cromwell *[[Charles II of England]] 1663-1685 silver Half Crowns were issued, and this period saw the end of the hammered issue of half crowns. *[[James II of England]] 1685-1688 silver Half Crown *[[William III of England|William]] & [[Mary II of England|Mary]] of England 1689-1694 silver Half Crown *[[William III of England]] 1694-1702 silver Half Crown *[[Anne of Great Britain]] 1702-1714 silver Half Crown *[[George I of Great Britain]] 1714-1727 silver Half Crown *[[George II of Great Britain]] 1727-1760 silver Half Crown *[[George III of Great Britain]] 1760-1820 silver Half Crown *[[George IV of Great Britain]] 1820-1830 silver Half Crown *[[William IV of the United Kingdom]] 1830-1837 silver Half Crown *[[Victoria of the United Kingdom]] 1837-1901 silver Half Crown *[[Edward VII of the United Kingdom]] 1902-1910 silver Half Crown *[[George V of the United Kingdom]] 1910-1936 silver Half Crown [[Sterling silver]] (92½% silver) until 1919, then 50% silver *[[Edward VIII of the United Kingdom]] 1936 50% silver Half Crown Not issued for circulation. *[[George VI of the United Kingdom]] 1937-1952 50% silver Half Crowns were issued until 1946 when the metal was changed to cupro-nickel *[[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom]] 1952 - The last Half Crown was issued in 1970 at the time of decimalisation ==Mintages== <center> {| width="58%" border="0" |----- | width="22%" | &nbsp; || width="22%" | &nbsp; | width="12%" | &nbsp; | width="22%" | &nbsp; || width="22%" | &nbsp; |----- | '''Victoria''' || <strong>(Jubilee)</strong> | &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; |----- | &nbsp;1887 | <div align="right">1,438,046<br><em>1,084</em></div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1890 || <div align="right">3,228,111</div> |----- | &nbsp;1888 || <div align="right">1,428,787</div> | &nbsp; | &nbsp;1891 || <div align="right">2,284,632</div> |----- | &nbsp;1889 || <div align="right">4,811,954</div> | &nbsp; | &nbsp;1892 || <div align="right">1,710,946</div> |----- | &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; |----- | '''Victoria''' || <strong>(Old Head)</strong> | &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; |----- | &nbsp;1893 | <div align="right">1,792,600<br><em>1,312</em></div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1898 || <div align="right">1,870,055</div> |----- | &nbsp;1894 || <div align="right">1,524,960</div> | &nbsp; | &nbsp;1899 || <div align="right">2,865,872</div> |----- | &nbsp;1895 || <div align="right">1,772,662</div> | &nbsp; | &nbsp;1900 || <div align="right">4,479,128</div> |----- | &nbsp;1896 || <div align="right">2,148,505</div> | &nbsp; | &nbsp;1901 || <div align="right">1,516,570</div> |----- | &nbsp;1897 || <div align="right">1,678,643</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; |----- | width="22%" | &nbsp; || width="22%" | &nbsp; | width="12%" | &nbsp; | width="22%" | &nbsp; || width="22%" | &nbsp; |----- | '''Edward VII''' || &nbsp; || &nbsp; | &nbsp; || &nbsp; |----- | &nbsp;1902 | <div align="right">1,316,008<br><em>15,123</em></div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1907 || <div align="right">3,693,930</div> |----- | &nbsp;1903 || <div align="right">274,840</div> | &nbsp; | &nbsp;1908 || <div align="right">1,758,889</div> |----- | &nbsp;1904 || <div align="right">709,652</div> | &nbsp; | &nbsp;1909 || <div align="right">3,051,592</div> |----- | &nbsp;1905 || <div align="right">166,008</div> | &nbsp; | &nbsp;1910 || <div align="right">2,557,685</div> |----- | &nbsp;1906 | <div align="right">&nbsp;2,886,206</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; |----- | &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; |----- | '''George V''' || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; |----- | &nbsp;1911 | <div align="right">2,914,573<br><em>6,007</em></div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1924 || <div align="right">5,866,294</div> |----- | &nbsp;1912 || <div align="right">4,700,789</div> | &nbsp; | &nbsp;1925 || <div align="right">1,413,461</div> |----- | &nbsp;1913 || <div align="right">4.090.169</div> | &nbsp; | &nbsp;1926 || <div align="right">4,473,516</div> |----- | &nbsp;1914 || <div align="right">18,333,003</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1927 | <div align="right">&nbsp;6,837,872<br><em>15,000</em></div> |----- | &nbsp;1915 | <div align="right">&nbsp;32,433,066</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1928 | <div align="right">&nbsp;18,762,727</div> |----- | &nbsp;1916 || <div align="right">29,530,020</div> | &nbsp; | &nbsp;1929 || <div align="right">17,632,636</div> |----- | &nbsp;1917 | <div align="right">&nbsp;11,172,052</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1930 | <div align="right">&nbsp;809,051</div> |----- | &nbsp;1918 || <div align="right">29,079,592</div> | &nbsp; | &nbsp;1931 || <div align="right">11,264,468</div> |----- | &nbsp;1919 | <div align="right">&nbsp;10,266,737</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1932 | <div align="right">&nbsp;4,793,643</div> |----- | &nbsp;1920 | <div align="right">&nbsp;17,982,077</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1933 | <div align="right">&nbsp;10,311,494</div> |----- | &nbsp;1921 || <div align="right">23,677,889</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1934 | <div align="right">&nbsp;2,422,399</div> |----- | &nbsp;1922 || <div align="right">16,396,724</div> | &nbsp; | &nbsp;1935 || <div align="right">7,022,216</div> |----- | &nbsp;1923 | <div align="right">&nbsp;26,308,526</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1936 || <div align="right">7,039,423</div> |----- | &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; |----- | '''George VI''' || &nbsp; || &nbsp; | &nbsp; || &nbsp; |----- | &nbsp;1937 | <div align="right">&nbsp;9,106,440<br><em>26,402</em></div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1945 | <div align="right">&nbsp;19,849,242</div> |----- | &nbsp;1938 | <div align="right">&nbsp;6,426,478</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1946 | <div align="right">&nbsp;22,724,873</div> |----- | &nbsp;1939 | <div align="right">&nbsp;15,478,635</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1947 | <div align="right">&nbsp;21,911,484</div> |----- | &nbsp;1940 | <div align="right">&nbsp;17,948,439</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1948 | <div align="right">&nbsp;71,164,703</div> |----- | &nbsp;1941 | <div align="right">&nbsp;15,773,984</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1949 | <div align="right">&nbsp;28,272,512</div> |----- | &nbsp;1942 | <div align="right">&nbsp;31,220,090</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1950 | <div align="right">&nbsp;28,335,500<br><em>TBA</em></div> |----- | &nbsp;1943 | <div align="right">&nbsp;15,462,875</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1951 | <div align="right">&nbsp;9,003,520<br><em>TBA</em></div> |----- | &nbsp;1944 | <div align="right">&nbsp;15,255,165</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1952 || <div align="right">&nbsp;n/m</div> |----- | &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; || &nbsp; |----- | '''Elizabeth II''' || &nbsp; || &nbsp; | &nbsp; || &nbsp; |----- | &nbsp;1953 | <div align="right">&nbsp;4,333,214<br><em>40,000</em></div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1961 | <div align="right">&nbsp;25,887,897</div> |----- | &nbsp;1954 | <div align="right">&nbsp;11,614,953</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1962 | <div align="right">&nbsp;24,013,312</div> |----- | &nbsp;1955 | <div align="right">&nbsp;23,628,726</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1963 | <div align="right">&nbsp;17,625,200</div> |----- | &nbsp;1956 | <div align="right">&nbsp;33,934,909</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1964 | <div align="right">&nbsp;5,973,600</div> |----- | &nbsp;1957 | <div align="right">&nbsp;34,200,563</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1965 | <div align="right">&nbsp;9,778,440</div> |----- | &nbsp;1958 | <div align="right">&nbsp;15,745,668</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1966 | <div align="right">&nbsp;13,375,200</div> |----- | &nbsp;1959 | <div align="right">&nbsp;9,028,844</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1967 | <div align="right">&nbsp;33,058,400</div> |----- | &nbsp;1960 | <div align="right">&nbsp;19,929,191</div> | &nbsp; || &nbsp;1970 | <div align="right">&nbsp;<em>750,000</em></div> |} </center> ==Gallery== <gallery> Image:1953 half crown obverse.jpg|The obverse of the 1953, Elizabeth II, half crown. Image:1953 half crown reverse.jpg|The reverse of the 1953, Elizabeth II, half crown. </gallery> ==See also== * [[Irish half-crown coin]] {{British coinage}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Half crown}} [[Category:Pre-decimalisation coins of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Coins of the United Kingdom]] ==External links== *[http://www.coinsgb.com British Coins] - Free information about British coins. Includes an online forum. [[de:Half Crown]] [[ja:半クラウン銀貨]]