What is an Australian Halfpenny?

Answer 1

Please note that since the Australian Half Penny is part of a redundant or obsolete currency, it no longer has an "exchange rate" with other currencies.

An Australian Half Penny is a coin comprised primarily of copper, and copper in appearance, which was first minted in London, England, at the Royal Mint, in 1911, and was last minted in Perth, Western Australia, at the Royal Australian Mint, in 1964. (When these Perth Mint coins had a mint mark, the mark was a "Y".)

For its entire run, from 1911 through 1964, the composition of the Half Penny was 97% copper, 2.5% zinc, and 0.5% tin. Half Pennies have a plain (non-reeded, smooth) edge, weigh 5.67 grams total coin weight, and measure 25.5 mm in surface diameter.

All Australian Coins, like those of (nearly) all British Realm members, have the reigning English Monarch on the obverse. From 1911 into 1939, the reverse had the words "ONE HALF PENNY", with a scroll below, and within a circle. Between the circle and the outer edge of the Half Penny, the words "COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA" were embossed along the upper circumference, with the mintage year along the lower edge.

From 1939 through 1964, the Half Penny had a right-facing, hopping kangaroo, with the word "AUSTRALIA" along the upper circumference, and the words "HALF PENNY" along the lower circumference. The mintage year is below the kangaroo's heel, above the words "HALF PENNY", and the 7-pointed Commonwealth Star is along the right edge, near and below the kangaroo's nose.

Half Pennies were progressively withdrawn from circulation after the introduction of Decimal Currency on the 14th of February, 1966.

When compared to decimal currency, as a pre-decimal currency unit, a Half Penny, would have been the equivalent of 0.416 cents [when?], but there is no equivalent decimal coin.

There were no Half Pennies issued in 1937, 1956, 1957, and 1958.

The rarest Australian Half Penny is the 1916 (mule) coin; the 1923 coin is rare; and the 1915 and 1918 coins are considered to be scarce, along with the 1939 kangaroo-reverse coins.

From a coin collectors perspective, Australian Half Pennies, depending on the year, condition, and method of minting, can be worth anything from $0.50 to $95,000 Australian (AUD).