Australia 1942 I Halfpenny (Short Reverse Denticles)

Mint:	Bombay	Mintage:	Part 6,000,009 Estimate 5,950,009	Milling:	Plain
Weight:	5.67 grams	Diameter:	25.5 mm	Composition:	97% Copper, 2.5% Zinc, 0.5% Tin

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Obverse 3 - English

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Reverse Bb - London (bombay modified)

Designer:	Thomas Hugh Paget (Initials 'HP' raised below truncation)
Design:	Left facing profile of George VI
Legend:	GEORGIVS VI D : G : BR : OMN : REX F : D : IND : IMP .
Denticle Count:	147 teeth
Mint mark:	'I' under head

Designer:	George Edward Kruger-Gray (Initials 'KG' raised under tail)
Design:	Kangaroo facing right *
Legend:	AUSTRALIA HALF PENNY
Denticle Count:	106 thick & 106 thin teeth (Short)
Mint mark:	'•' HALF PENNY' '•'
Characteristics:	Downstrokes on 'H' of 'HALF' align with thin denticles Double foot on 'Y' of 'HALF PENNY' The kangaroo has a raised and lidded eye but otherwise has shallow definition with no fur lines especially in the ear. Short edge denticles

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Value

BM Ad NP	8 Good VG10	10 VG F12	12 about F F15	15 Fine VF20	20 good F VF25	25 about VF VF30	30 Very Fine VF35	35 good VF EF40	40 about EF EF45	45 Ext Fine AU50	50 good EF AU53	53 about Unc AU55	58+ virt Unc AU58	58-60 Uncirc MS60	58-61 Uncirc MS61	58-62 Uncirc MS62	63-64 Choice Unc MS63	64-65 near Gem MS64	65-66 Gem MS65	66-67 Gem MS66	67-68 Gem MS67	68 near Flaw MS68	69 virt Flaw MS69	70 Flawless MS70	Proof
B	BV + NGC PCGS	BV + NGC PCGS	BV + NGC PCGS	BV + NGC PCGS	BV + NGC PCGS	BV + NGC PCGS	BV + NGC PCGS	BV + NGC PCGS	$1 + NGC PCGS	$3 + NGC PCGS	$5 + NGC PCGS	$8 + NGC 2 PCGS 1	$10 + NGC 2 PCGS 5	$15 + NGC PCGS	$20 + NGC 1 PCGS	$25 + NGC 1 PCGS 2	$50 + NGC 4 PCGS 14	$100 + NGC 3 PCGS 8	$200 + NGC PCGS 3	$400 + NGC PCGS	$750 + NGC PCGS	$1250 + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	N
RB	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	$3 + NGC PCGS	$5 + NGC PCGS	$10 + NGC PCGS	$12 + NGC PCGS	$20 + NGC PCGS	$25 + NGC PCGS	$40 + NGC PCGS	$60 + NGC PCGS	$125 + NGC 2 PCGS 23	$225 + NGC 2 PCGS 22	$500 + NGC PCGS 5 1	$750 + NGC PCGS	$1500 + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	N
R	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	" + NGC PCGS	$25 + NGC PCGS	$40 + NGC PCGS	$60 + NGC PCGS	$125 + NGC PCGS	$225 + NGC PCGS 1	$500 + NGC PCGS 3	$750 + NGC PCGS	$1500 + NGC PCGS	$2500 + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	- + NGC PCGS	N

Click here for Half Penny quick reference price guide

Benchmark

Adjectival

NGC/PCGS

Collectable grades

Does not exist by definition

Investment grades

Unlikely to exist

Aspirational grades

Bullion or metal value

Not known in these grades

Value as above

Proof

Y (Yes)
N (Not known)

Last updated December 2024

Notes:

It is not certain whether the Melbourne Mint supplied the Bombay Mint with dies for this emergency war issue, but if so it would appear that the reverse dies were not used directly. A reverse model was produced by the Bombay Mint from either a struck coin or a die of the unaltered London 1939 'Roo' Halfpenny from which it derived working dies to produce the initial coinage. In common with that coin, the 1942 I Halfpenny features a double foot on the 'Y' of 'HALFPENNY' and the same denticle count and edge alignment. However, the musculature of the kangaroo is leaner in comparison with the 1939 coin, and a raised and lidded eye has been introduced while much of the fine detail is missing, eg note the absence of the rib cage and fur lines in the ear. This 1942 I Halfpenny has a distinctively different look to the Australian halfpennies struck on the original London die, and although it is tempting to recognise it as a new reverse, we have classified it as a sub-type to acknowledge the similarities to the root die.