Great Britain (1649) half penny
This specimen was lot 32681 in Heritage sale 3089 (Dallas, TX, January 2021), where it sold for $990. The catalog description[1] noted, "Great Britain. Commonwealth 1/2 Penny ND (1649-1660) MS65 NGC, Tower mint. Shield with cross of St. George / Shield with Irish harp. A charming little coin that boasts a technical condition far beyond what might be expected for the type; indeed, few issues of the Commonwealth era of British history as a whole are known to have survived in gem condition." Half pence had been struck sporadically in the reigns of James I and Charles I, always in silver like this commonwealth issue. Their miniscule size made them a nuisance to use. When Charles II reintroduced the half penny in 1672, common sense finally prevailed and the coin was made of copper.
Recorded mintage: unknown.
Specification: 0.25 g, 0.925 fine silver, this specimen 0.25 g.
Catalog reference: KM 386, S-3223, ESC-2728, N-2160.
- Cuhaj, George S., and Thomas Michael, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1601-1700, 6th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2014.
- Lobel, Richard, Mark Davidson, Allan Hailstone and Eleni Calligas, Coincraft's Standard Catalogue of English and UK Coins, 1066 to Date, London: Coincraft, 1995.
- Rayner, P. Alan, and Maurice Bull, English Silver Coinage from 1649, 6th Ed., London: Spink & Son, 2015.
- Skingley, Philip, ed., Standard Catalogue of British Coins: Coins of England & the United Kingdom, 46th edition, London: Spink & Son, 2011.
- [1]Cristiano Bierrenbach, Warren Tucker and Sam Spiegel, Heritage Auction 3089: NYINC World & Ancient Coins Platinum & Signature Auction - Dallas, featuring the Cape Coral Collection of European Crowns and the Penn Collection, Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries, 2020.
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