Item number: A1697

Year: AD 1938

Material: Bronze

Size: 25.3 x 25.3 x 1.5 mm

Weight: 5.65 g

Manufactured by: Royal Mint, Melbourne

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2014

This is a halfpenny bronze coin minted by the Royal Melbourne Mint and issued by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, commonly referred to by Australians as the ha’penny [ˈheɪpəni]. The monetary system of the time followed the British standard, whereby one Australian pound was equivalent to twenty shillings or 240 pence.

The obverse features a left-facing portrait of King George VI, encircled by the Latin inscription “GEORGIVS VI D:G:BR:OMN:REX F:D:IND:IMP.”, which expands to “GEORGIVS SEXTVS DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM OMNIUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR INDIAE IMPERATOR”, translating as “George VI, by the Grace of God, King of all Britain, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India.” Due to wear, certain details may be difficult to discern, but beneath the portrait, the small initials “HP” should be present, signifying the work of the coin’s designer, Thomas Humphrey Paget (AD 1893–1974). In AD 1936, following the abrupt abdication of Edward VIII, Paget was commissioned to prepare the new monarch’s portrait within a single month. This design became one of the most iconic numismatic portraits of the 20th century. That same year, Paget also designed the obverse of the British halfpenny, featuring the Golden Hind, which similarly became a numismatic classic and was repeatedly reused in subsequent issues. Over the course of his career, Paget produced an extensive array of coins and medals for both domestic and international commissions, making him one of the most prolific engravers of the 20th century.

The reverse of the coin prominently displays its denomination, “ONE HALF PENNY” (½ penny), at the centre. Encircling this inscription is the phrase “COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA”, signifying the issuing authority, with the year “1938” positioned at the bottom to indicate the year of issue. This design was created by William Henry James Blakemore, a long-standing engraver for the Royal Mint, London, and was originally devised in AD 1910, remaining in use for subsequent issues.

This halfpenny coin was discontinued after only two years of issuance. Contemporary Australian newspapers expressed mixed reactions to the release of newly issued coins bearing King George VI’s portrait while retaining the outdated reverse design, describing them as “functional yet uninspiring.” In response, the Commonwealth Government introduced a new design featuring a kangaroo, incorporating a more distinctively Australian aesthetic. This shift reflected the country’s growing national identity and increasing autonomy from Britain throughout the 1930s. Although the Commonwealth Government maintained its overarching policy of aligning with Britain, there was underlying discontent regarding Australia’s passive entry into the First World War, the instability of its gold standard policies, the economic devastation of the Great Depression, and doubts concerning the Royal Navy’s ability to contain Japan’s rising influence in the Pacific. Notably, AD 1938 also marked the 150th anniversary of Australia’s establishment, and amid the grand celebrations, Australians may have further solidified their sense of national sovereignty.

In AD 1788, the Colony of New South Wales was established. In AD 1901, the Commonwealth of Australia was formed, and the constitutional right to coinage was transferred to the federal government. In AD 1911, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia was founded and issued the first series of Australian coins, including the halfpenny. In AD 1920, the authority to issue banknotes was transferred from the Treasury to the Commonwealth Bank. Finally, in AD 1966, Australia transitioned to the decimal currency system, leading to the discontinuation of the penny and halfpenny denominations.

物件編號: A1697

年代: 公元 1938 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 25.3 x 25.3 x 1.5 mm

重量: 5.65 g

製造地: 墨爾本皇家鑄幣廠

來源: 大城郵幣社 2014

這是一枚由墨爾本皇家鑄幣廠鑄造，澳洲聯邦銀行發行的半便士銅幣，澳洲人稱為(ha’penny[heɪpəni])。1澳洲鎊等於20先令等於240便士。

銅幣的正面是英王喬治六世的左側肖像。周圍環繞著拉丁簡寫「GEORGIVS VI D:G:BR:OMN:REX F:D:IND:IMP.」，即「GEORGIVS SEXTVS DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM OMNIUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR INDIAE IMPERATOR」，意為「喬治六世，蒙上帝恩典，大不列顛國王，信仰的捍衛者，印度皇帝」。因磨損嚴重而難以辨識，但肖像下方應有小字「HP」，為設計者，雕刻師托馬斯·漢弗萊·佩吉特(Thomas Humphrey Paget，AD 1893 – 1974)的註記。公元1936年，愛德華八世匆促遜位後，佩吉特受命於一個月內，為新英王準備新硬幣的圖像，即該硬幣的肖像。日後，這幅肖像被譽為「20世紀的經典」。同年為英國本土設計的半便士銅幣，其背面的金鹿號也同樣成為了經典，被一再複用。佩吉特的職業生涯為國內外創作硬幣、勳章無數，是20世紀最多產的雕刻師之一。

銅幣的背面中央為面額「ONE HALF PENNY」，即「½ 便士」。周圍環繞英文「COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA」，即「澳大利亞聯邦」。「1938」標示了發行年。幣文的設計者為威廉·亨利·詹姆斯·布萊克莫爾(William Henry James Blakemore)，長期受聘於英國皇家鑄幣廠。該幣幣文為公元1910年設計的沿用。

該半便士銅幣僅發行兩年便被停產。從當時澳洲報紙來看，民眾評價喬治六世即位以來按例發行的新肖像硬幣，背後沿用了舊設計這一點「有效，但是乏味」。於是聯邦政府推出新的袋鼠設計，更富有澳洲色彩，這也反映了澳洲自1930年代以來不斷擴張的自主性。在聯邦政府長期與英國本土共同進退的基本國策下，隱藏著對於被動加入一戰、本土在金本位上的反覆、在大蕭條中經濟受創等怨言，以及懷疑英國海軍是否能遏制太平洋區域正在崛起的日本。公元1938年，同樣也是澳大利亞建立150周年，可能在盛大舉辦的慶祝活動中，澳洲人也確證了自身的主體性。

公元1788，新南威爾斯殖民地建立。公元1901年，澳洲聯邦成立，鑄幣權依憲收歸中央。公元1911年，澳洲聯邦銀行成立，開始發行第一批硬幣，半便士於此時啟用 。公元1920年，印鈔權亦由財政部轉交聯邦銀行。公元1966年，澳洲改制十進制，廢止便士。