Half crown
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2008-06-27T01:48:54Z
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[[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%" | || width="22%" |
| width="12%" |
| width="22%" | || width="22%" |
|-----
| '''Victoria''' || <strong>(Jubilee)</strong>
| || ||
|-----
| 1887
| <div align="right">1,438,046<br><em>1,084</em></div>
| || 1890 || <div align="right">3,228,111</div>
|-----
| 1888 || <div align="right">1,428,787</div>
|
| 1891 || <div align="right">2,284,632</div>
|-----
| 1889 || <div align="right">4,811,954</div>
|
| 1892 || <div align="right">1,710,946</div>
|-----
| || || || ||
|-----
| '''Victoria''' || <strong>(Old Head)</strong>
| || ||
|-----
| 1893
| <div align="right">1,792,600<br><em>1,312</em></div>
| || 1898 || <div align="right">1,870,055</div>
|-----
| 1894 || <div align="right">1,524,960</div>
|
| 1899 || <div align="right">2,865,872</div>
|-----
| 1895 || <div align="right">1,772,662</div>
|
| 1900 || <div align="right">4,479,128</div>
|-----
| 1896 || <div align="right">2,148,505</div>
|
| 1901 || <div align="right">1,516,570</div>
|-----
| 1897 || <div align="right">1,678,643</div>
| || ||
|-----
| width="22%" | || width="22%" |
| width="12%" |
| width="22%" | || width="22%" |
|-----
| '''Edward VII''' || ||
| ||
|-----
| 1902
| <div align="right">1,316,008<br><em>15,123</em></div>
| || 1907 || <div align="right">3,693,930</div>
|-----
| 1903 || <div align="right">274,840</div>
|
| 1908 || <div align="right">1,758,889</div>
|-----
| 1904 || <div align="right">709,652</div>
|
| 1909 || <div align="right">3,051,592</div>
|-----
| 1905 || <div align="right">166,008</div>
|
| 1910 || <div align="right">2,557,685</div>
|-----
| 1906
| <div align="right"> 2,886,206</div>
| || ||
|-----
| || || || ||
|-----
| '''George V''' || || || ||
|-----
| 1911
| <div align="right">2,914,573<br><em>6,007</em></div>
| || 1924 || <div align="right">5,866,294</div>
|-----
| 1912 || <div align="right">4,700,789</div>
|
| 1925 || <div align="right">1,413,461</div>
|-----
| 1913 || <div align="right">4.090.169</div>
|
| 1926 || <div align="right">4,473,516</div>
|-----
| 1914 || <div align="right">18,333,003</div>
| || 1927
| <div align="right"> 6,837,872<br><em>15,000</em></div>
|-----
| 1915
| <div align="right"> 32,433,066</div>
| || 1928
| <div align="right"> 18,762,727</div>
|-----
| 1916 || <div align="right">29,530,020</div>
|
| 1929 || <div align="right">17,632,636</div>
|-----
| 1917
| <div align="right"> 11,172,052</div>
| || 1930
| <div align="right"> 809,051</div>
|-----
| 1918 || <div align="right">29,079,592</div>
|
| 1931 || <div align="right">11,264,468</div>
|-----
| 1919
| <div align="right"> 10,266,737</div>
| || 1932
| <div align="right"> 4,793,643</div>
|-----
| 1920
| <div align="right"> 17,982,077</div>
| || 1933
| <div align="right"> 10,311,494</div>
|-----
| 1921 || <div align="right">23,677,889</div>
| || 1934
| <div align="right"> 2,422,399</div>
|-----
| 1922 || <div align="right">16,396,724</div>
|
| 1935 || <div align="right">7,022,216</div>
|-----
| 1923
| <div align="right"> 26,308,526</div>
| || 1936 || <div align="right">7,039,423</div>
|-----
| || || || ||
|-----
| '''George VI''' || ||
| ||
|-----
| 1937
| <div align="right"> 9,106,440<br><em>26,402</em></div>
| || 1945
| <div align="right"> 19,849,242</div>
|-----
| 1938
| <div align="right"> 6,426,478</div>
| || 1946
| <div align="right"> 22,724,873</div>
|-----
| 1939
| <div align="right"> 15,478,635</div>
| || 1947
| <div align="right"> 21,911,484</div>
|-----
| 1940
| <div align="right"> 17,948,439</div>
| || 1948
| <div align="right"> 71,164,703</div>
|-----
| 1941
| <div align="right"> 15,773,984</div>
| || 1949
| <div align="right"> 28,272,512</div>
|-----
| 1942
| <div align="right"> 31,220,090</div>
| || 1950
| <div align="right"> 28,335,500<br><em>TBA</em></div>
|-----
| 1943
| <div align="right"> 15,462,875</div>
| || 1951
| <div align="right"> 9,003,520<br><em>TBA</em></div>
|-----
| 1944
| <div align="right"> 15,255,165</div>
| || 1952 || <div align="right"> n/m</div>
|-----
| || || || ||
|-----
| '''Elizabeth II''' || ||
| ||
|-----
| 1953
| <div align="right"> 4,333,214<br><em>40,000</em></div>
| || 1961
| <div align="right"> 25,887,897</div>
|-----
| 1954
| <div align="right"> 11,614,953</div>
| || 1962
| <div align="right"> 24,013,312</div>
|-----
| 1955
| <div align="right"> 23,628,726</div>
| || 1963
| <div align="right"> 17,625,200</div>
|-----
| 1956
| <div align="right"> 33,934,909</div>
| || 1964
| <div align="right"> 5,973,600</div>
|-----
| 1957
| <div align="right"> 34,200,563</div>
| || 1965
| <div align="right"> 9,778,440</div>
|-----
| 1958
| <div align="right"> 15,745,668</div>
| || 1966
| <div align="right"> 13,375,200</div>
|-----
| 1959
| <div align="right"> 9,028,844</div>
| || 1967
| <div align="right"> 33,058,400</div>
|-----
| 1960
| <div align="right"> 19,929,191</div>
| || 1970
| <div align="right"> <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]]