The George VI halfcrown (2s 6d) was struck from 1937 to 1952 and forms an important part of British silver and later cupro-nickel coinage.
The series reflects the transition from silver to base metal after 1946 and includes a range of dates with varying availability in higher grades. This page provides a detailed reference to George VI halfcrowns, including specifications, design features and collector guidance.
Introduction
The George VI Halfcrown was struck from 1937 to 1951 and is one of the most satisfying denominations of the reign to collect, spanning the transition from silver to copper-nickel and reflecting the changed political status of the British Empire. This page provides an overview of the George VI Halfcrown series, including alloy changes, legend modifications, reverse design notes, and year-by-year reference images.
Two main changes define the coinages of this series: the replacement of .500 silver with copper-nickel in 1947, and the removal of the IND IMP titles from the obverse legend in 1949, following Indian independence. A unique 1952-dated currency halfcrown is also recorded — a remarkable piece with its own remarkable story.
1st Coinage (1937–1946) – Struck in .500 silver, introducing a new reverse design by George Kruger Gray featuring a heraldic shield suspended by a ring and pin — a deliberate departure from the tilting-shield design of the George V halfcrowns.
2nd Coinage (1947–1948) – Alloy changed to copper-nickel (75% copper, 25% nickel); the design was otherwise unchanged.
3rd Coinage (1949–1951) – Following Indian independence, IND IMP was removed from the obverse legend, leaving GEORGIVS VI D:G: BR: OMN: REX F:D:
1938 is a trickier date than its neighbours, in keeping with the principle of
the "second date". People tended to hoard the first issue of a new
monarch or effigy, but not the second. It is useful to compare the
following date pairs with this in mind:
1887/1888
1902/1903
1911/1912
1937/1938
1953/1954
Coinage Details
1st Coinage (1937–1946) — The George VI halfcrown introduced a notable change to the reverse design. Where the George V halfcrown displayed a "tilting shield" with a slot at top left for a jousting lance — a martial reference — the new reverse by George Kruger Gray shows a shield hanging vertically by a ring and pin, projecting a more peaceable heraldic image. The reign did not, unfortunately, turn out quite as peacefully as the designer had hoped. The 1937 issue, as the first of a new reign, tends to survive in better average condition than the 1938, which follows the familiar pattern of the "second date" — hoarded less, circulated more.
2nd Coinage (1947–1948) — In 1947, the silver content of circulating coinage was eliminated entirely and replaced with copper-nickel. The halfcrown design remained the same but the new alloy, combined with intensive circulation well into the 1950s, makes genuinely high-grade examples from this coinage harder to find than their silver predecessors.
3rd Coinage (1949–1951) — Indian independence in 1947 rendered the IND IMP (Indiae Imperator) element of the royal style obsolete. From 1949, the titles were removed from the obverse legend across all denominations. A unique example of a 1952 currency halfcrown is known, believed to have passed unnoticed into circulation and found in a collector's change in 1967.
There is a unique example of a 1952 currency half crown, that turned up
in a coin collector’s change in 1967. This is a marvellous story, and
I cannot tell it any better than one of its owners can:
An interesting point to note is the change in the design of the shield
from the previous reign. The new halfcrown features a heraldic
shield hanging by a ring and pin — George V's halfcrowns displayed a
"tilting shield", with a slot at top left, for a jousting lance.
George V vs George VI Halfcrown designs
This new design was intended to portray a less martial, more peaceful
impression. The reign did not, unfortunately, turn out quite as
peacefully as the designer had hoped.
Attributions and variety identifications for the George V Halfcrown series are based principally on the standard published references listed below.
These works form the core framework for catalogue numbering, die classification, and comparative study.
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
