Coin
½ Penny - George V (1929) — Australia
Australia • 1929 • KM# 22, Schön# 13
Overview
A 1929 bronze ½ Penny coin from Australia, part of the Standard circulation coins series featuring King George V. Minted at the Melbourne Mint.
Specifications
- Country
- Australia
- Year
- 1929
- Composition
- Bronze
- Weight
- 5.67 g
- Diameter
- 25.5 mm
- Thickness
- 1.7 mm
- Mint
- Royal Mint, Melbourne, Australia (1872-1969)
- Shape
- Round
- Technique
- Milled
- References
- KM# 22, Schön# 13
- Issuer
- Australia
Design details
Obverse
Crowned and robed bust of George V facing left. Lettering: GEORGIVS V D.G.BRITT: OMN:REX F.D.IND:IMP: B. M.
Reverse
In the center within a circle of beads, the words ONE HALF PENNY in three lines above a plain scroll; around the circle of beads, COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.
Collector insights
- Design heritage: Edgar Bertram MacKennal (obverse), William Henry James Blakemore (reverse) is credited as the designer for the Standard circulation coins series. Designer attribution helps distinguish this issue from later restrikes or unofficial copies that reuse only the motif.
- Struck at: Royal Mint, Melbourne, Australia (1872-1969). Confirm the mintmark on your example before comparing prices — same-year issues from different mints often trade at very different levels.
- Mintage vs. survival: A moderate mintage of 2,635,000. Grade rarity is usually the driver of value here — mid-grade circulated pieces are common, but original-surface uncirculated coins can command a strong premium.
- Catalogue reference: Listed as
KM# 22, Schön# 13. Use this reference code when cross-checking auction archives, dealer inventories, and standard printed catalogues.
Curator Insights
Historical context
During 1929, Australia remained part of the British Commonwealth and maintained a currency system based on the British Pound Sterling. This issue was struck during the onset of the Great Depression, which began to impact Australian economic stability and necessitated the continued production of low-denomination bronze coinage for small transactions. The Melbourne Mint served as the primary domestic facility for these issues following the closure of the Sydney Mint in 1926.
Design heritage
The obverse features the crowned and robed portrait of King George V by Sir Edgar Bertram MacKennal, a noted Australian sculptor whose work appeared extensively across British Imperial coinage. The reverse, designed by William Henry James Blakemore, utilizes a utilitarian layout featuring the denomination within a beaded circle and a decorative scroll. This reverse design remained standard for Australian fractional copper coinage from the country's first decimal-like national issues until the introduction of the kangaroo motif in 1937.
Varieties and technical notes
Collectors should examine the alignment and spacing of the beads in the inner circle, as variations in die pressure can affect their definition. While the 1929 issue does not typically feature the distinct mintmarks found in earlier London or Calcutta strikes, the technical execution at the Melbourne Mint resulted in a characteristically plain edge. Specimens should be inspected for ghosting, where the heavy pressure of the obverse bust strike causes a faint silhouette to appear on the reverse field.
Survival and modern availability
With a mintage of over 2.6 million pieces, the 1929 half penny is accessible to collectors in circulated grades but becomes increasingly scarce in Mint State. Many examples suffered from heavy circulation wear and environmental corrosion due to the high reactivity of the bronze composition. Unlike silver issues which faced significant melts, many bronze half pennies remained in circulation until the decimalisation of Australian currency in 1966.
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Browse more items in the full catalog or view Australia in the country guide.