Background:

Edward VII’s reign was short and, from a numismatic viewpoint, relatively uneventful. He embarked on a goodwill tour (Royal Visit) of Ireland in 1902 and, despite the good press he received, Irish nationalism continued to grow. His bronze halfpennies were a continuation of Victorian designs, although the numbers minted were considerably higher than in the 1890s – the last decade of his mother’s reign.

Bronze Halfpenny: Edward VII

• Alloy: Bronze (95% copper, 4% tin and 1% zinc)
• Weight: 5.67 g
• Diameter: 25 mm
• Edge: Plain
• Designers
  • Obverse: George De Saulles (De S)
  • Reverse: Leonard Wyon / George De Saulles

Obverse:

• Bare head of Edward VII facing right
• Legend: EDWARDVS VII DEI GRA:BRITT:OMN:REX FID:DEF:IND:IMP:
  • Engraver’s initials (De S) below
• Full (Latin) text: EDWARDVS V DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM OMNIUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR INDIAE IMPERATOR
• Translation: Edward the Seventh, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britains, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India

Reverse:

• Britannia seated, facing right, wearing a helmet, holding a trident, hand resting on a shield
• Legend: HALF and PENNY in the side fields
• Date below

Mintage & Market Values:

Notes:

These coins are still quite common and there are no scarce dates. They are mostly found in the lower grades but coins in the highest grade (EF-Unc) command a significant premium, so it is well worth your while to carefully examine them, i.e. a halfpenny toned to almost black may be in an exceptional state of preservation.

The only variety is the 1902 high/low tide variation. The ‘low tide’ is the scarcer variety and is worth a 5 to 10-fold premium over the standard coin.

Always check your catalogue for an image of the GB & Ireland ‘high and low tide varieties’ because the horizons differs from coin to coin, e.g. between pennies and halfpennies + between Victorian and Edwardian coins.

Further Reading:

Halfpenny (½d)

• Copper Halfpennies
  • O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Ireland Copper Halfpennies of George IV
  • O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Ireland Copper Halfpennies of William IV
  • O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Ireland Copper Halfpennies of Victoria

• Bronze Halfpennies
  • O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Ireland Bronze Halfpennies of Victoria (due soon)
  • O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Ireland Bronze Halfpennies of Edward VII
  • O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Ireland Bronze Halfpennies of George V
  • O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Northern Ireland Bronze Halfpennies of George VI
  • O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Northern Ireland Bronze Halfpennies of Elizabeth II