Commentary (By Mark Duff)
Australia's first halfpenny was struck in 1911 by the Royal Mint, London. It was also responsible for striking the 1913 halfpennies as well as part of the 1914 mintage. The London minted coins followed established tradition and carried no mint mark.

Commentary (By Mark Duff)
The private Heaton Mint in Birmingham was sub-contracted by the Royal Mint to strike the entire mintage of Australian halfpennies in 1912 and 1915 and in 1914 it struck coins in conjunction with the London Mint. The halfpennies struck in Birmingham were all distinguished by an 'H' mint mark.

Commentary (By Mark Duff)
Australia's first halfpenny was struck in 1911 by the Royal Mint, London. It was also responsible for striking the 1913 halfpennies as well as part of the 1914 mintage. The London minted coins followed established tradition and carried no mint mark.

Commentary (By Mark Duff)
Australia's first halfpenny was struck in 1911 by the Royal Mint, London. It was also responsible for striking the 1913 halfpennies as well as part of the 1914 mintage. The London minted coins followed established tradition and carried no mint mark.

Commentary (By Mark Duff)
The private Heaton Mint in Birmingham was sub-contracted by the Royal Mint to strike the entire mintage of Australian halfpennies in 1912 and 1915 and in 1914 it struck coins in conjunction with the London Mint. The halfpennies struck in Birmingham were all distinguished by an 'H' mint mark.

Commentary (By Mark Duff)
The private Heaton Mint in Birmingham was sub-contracted by the Royal Mint to strike the entire mintage of Australian halfpennies in 1912 and 1915 and in 1914 it struck coins in conjunction with the London Mint. The halfpennies struck in Birmingham were all distinguished by an 'H' mint mark.

Commentary (By Mark Duff)
Although Australia began producing silver coins in 1916, its mints were not yet capable of producing the larger bronze coins. As WWI raged, supply lines from Britain were stretched and vulnerable to attack, and so the Calcutta Mint was called upon to strike halfpennies and pennies for Australia, during the war years of 1916, 1917 and 1918. These coins are identified by the 'I' mint mark.

Commentary (By Mark Duff)
In 1916, the Calcutta Mint struck both Australia halfpenny and India 1/4 anna coins. In a major production error an obverse of the India 1/4 Anna was paired with a reverse of the Australia halfpenny. About ten of this extremely rare coin are known to have survived. It is easily identified by the obverse legend, which reads 'GEORGE V KING EMPEROR'. There is also the figure of an elephant on the king's regalia and unlike the obverse on the Australian 1916 Halfpenny there are no pearls in the band of the king's crown. It has also been noted that coins which are considered genuine also have a small blob on the inner concentric circle in a direct line upwards from the upstroke of the 'N' in 'ONE'.

Commentary (By Mark Duff)
Although Australia began producing silver coins in 1916, its mints were not yet capable of producing the larger bronze coins. As WWI raged, supply lines from Britain were stretched and vulnerable to attack, and so the Calcutta Mint was called upon to strike halfpennies and pennies for Australia, during the war years of 1916, 1917 and 1918. These coins are identified by the 'I' mint mark.

Commentary (By Mark Duff)
Although Australia began producing silver coins in 1916, its mints were not yet capable of producing the larger bronze coins. As WWI raged, supply lines from Britain were stretched and vulnerable to attack, and so the Calcutta Mint was called upon to strike halfpennies and pennies for Australia, during the war years of 1916, 1917 and 1918. These coins are identified by the 'I' mint mark.

Commentary (By Mark Duff)
1919 marked the first domestic production of Australian halfpennies which was undertaken by the Sydney Mint on working dies supplied by the London Mint.

Commentary (By Mark Duff)
The Sydney Mint was responsible for the entire mintages of the 1919, 1920, 1921 and 1922 halfpennies which were struck on working dies supplied by the London Mint.

Commentary (By Mark Duff)
The Sydney Mint was responsible for the entire mintages of the 1919, 1920, 1921 and 1922 halfpennies which were struck on working dies supplied by the London Mint.

Commentary (By Mark Duff)
The Sydney Mint was responsible for the entire mintages of the 1919, 1920, 1921 and 1922 halfpennies which were struck on working dies supplied by the London Mint.

Commentary (By Mark Duff)
In July 1923, the Melbourne Mint received an order to produce £1,000 of halfpennies and in September of that year three pairs of dies were prepared. The dies were obviously of a poor standard as one pair of dies was immediately returned to the workshop and the two remaining pairs deteriorated so quickly that the vast majority of 1923 halfpennies exhibit die cracks. Only a small number of coins were struck before the dies ultimately failed.