The British decimal halfpenny (1/2p) coin was removed from circulation and ceased to be legal tender in December 1984. Chancellor Nigel Lawson announced its withdrawal in February 1984 because its production costs exceeded its face value, and it had become, due to inflation, largely insignificant for transactions.
The Half Penny was abolished in the UK in the year 1984. The decision to eliminate the Half Penny was primarily driven by economic factors. The cost of producing and maintaining the Half Penny had become more expensive than its actual value.
So what is its value? It's difficult to put values on varieties such as this, but if we assume the coin photographed above is just as rare as a 1951 Perth halfpenny no dot in the same grade, a reasonable starting point would be over $750, which is the going rate of a 1951 Perth halfpenny no dot in comparable grade.
The Halfpenny of King George V is the most difficult bronze denomination to get, especially if you are trying to put a date set together. These early dates 1911-25 are the most difficult of the dates to find. Each coin is in selected circulated condition and remember that they are almost 100 years old.
Rolls containing fifty uncirculated 1971 1ps are easily purchased for under £5. This is a far cry from £35,000, so where has the seller got this figure? Obverse and reverse of a standard, circulated 1971 Penny: these common coins are not worth thousands of pounds.
High grade cupro-nickel coins are becoming harder to find, and owing to lack of appreciation in the wider dealer market even the choicer grades are bulked in with low grade material increasing tarnish, bag marks and the like.
The rarest and most valuable UK penny is arguably the 1933 George V Penny, a ceremonial "pattern" coin, with only seven known examples, fetching up to £72,000+ due to extreme rarity, as they were never meant for circulation. Other highly sought-after rarities include the 1922 Bronze Penny, known for its very low mintage after WWI, and error coins like the 1954 Penny (often mistakenly thought unissued) or the 1944-46 darkened pennies, appealing to serious collectors of transitional or error pieces.
An unworn sixpence dated prior to 1920 contains 0.0841 oz of silver, and this gives a bullion value of about £3.12 or US$4.11. Sixpence from the period 1920 to 1946 contain 0.0454 oz of silver and thus had a bullion value of £1.68 or US$2.22.
A 1951 penny with no mint mark (Philadelphia) is typically worth $0.05 to $0.20 in circulated condition and up to $5 or more if uncirculated. The 1951-D (Denver) penny ranges from $0.10 to $0.50 in circulated grades and can exceed $6 in mint condition.
The British farthing (derived from the Old English feorthing, a fourth part) was a British coin worth a quarter of an old penny (1⁄960 of a pound sterling). It ceased to be struck after 1956 and was demonetised from 1 January 1961.
If you've got a handful of old half pennies from the reigns of George V through to Elizabeth II, they're most likely common coins. In circulated, well-worn condition, their value is quite minimal.
Some 1999 pennies are worth thousands of dollars because of a rare "Wide AM" error, where the "A" and "M" in "America" on the back (reverse) are widely spaced, a feature meant for proof coins, not regular circulation. While most 1999 pennies are common, those with this specific wide spacing, especially in pristine, uncirculated condition (like MS-67 or higher), command high prices, with top examples selling for over $4,000 due to the rarity of this manufacturing mistake.
Arguably the most valuable one penny coin is the 1933 George V penny, which is worth an estimated value of £72,000. Although this was originally created as a pattern coin – which means it is not intended for release into circulation – it is believed seven were issued, making them extraordinarily rare.
A 1974 penny could be worth millions, but only if it's the extremely rare aluminum version, an experimental coin the U.S. Mint tried making due to high copper prices, with examples potentially valued over $2 million, though owning one is technically illegal as they were meant to be returned, leading to legal battles and controversy over those that escaped. Standard copper 1974 pennies are common and worth very little, though high-grade examples or those with specific errors (like a doubled die or repunched mint mark) might fetch a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, not millions.
“During World War II, pennies were made of steel to save copper for the war effort. However, a few were mistakenly made of bronze, and these are extremely rare and valuable. Made of 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc alloy, it sold for $1.7 million in 2010 but is valued at $2.3 in mint uncirculated condition.”
Based on this assumption, we would pay you £1.51 for a pre-47 sixpence. How much is a pre-1947 shilling worth? A newly minted Shilling weighed 5.65 grams.
This 1963 D Lincoln Memorial Penny is a rare find for collectors, featuring an error with missing FG initials. The penny is composed of pure copper and was minted in Denver, United States.
Queen Elizabeth II coins vary greatly in value, from face value for common circulated coins (like most £1 coins) to hundreds or thousands of pounds for rare proofs, low mintage issues (like some 2022 £1s or specific 50p/£2 coins), error coins, or special commemorative editions in pristine condition, with collectors seeking low mintage or unique variations, not just any old coin. Check for low mintage years, special designs (Beatrix Potter, Britannia, etc.), error coins (double strikes), or proof sets for potential value beyond face value.
Error coins are highly sought after by collectors due to their rarity and unique characteristics. The 2020 Lincoln penny with no mint mark and a reverse error featuring a line through the letters “L” and “U” on the word “e pluribus” is a unique and rare error coin.
