Coin

½ Crown = 2 Shillings 6 Pence (1942) — Ireland

Ireland • 1942 • KM# 16, Sp# 6633

Overview

Pre Decimal ½ Crown coin from 1942.

Specifications

Country: Ireland
Year: 1942
Composition: Silver
Weight: 14.138 g
Diameter: 32.31 mm
Thickness: 1.9 mm
Mint: Royal Mint (Tower Hill), London, United Kingdom
Shape: Round
Technique: Milled
References: KM# 16, Sp# 6633
Issuer: Ireland

Design details

Obverse

Irish harp with the country name to the left and the date to the right

Reverse

An Irish Hunter horse facing left with the denomination below

Collector insights

Wartime issue: Struck during the Second World War, when many mints substituted base metals (zinc, steel, low-fineness alloys) for copper and nickel diverted to munitions. Surviving high-grade examples are disproportionately scarce.
Design heritage: Percy Metcalfe is credited as the designer for the Pre Decimal 1939-1969 series. Designer attribution helps distinguish this issue from later restrikes or unofficial copies that reuse only the motif.
Struck at: Royal Mint (Tower Hill), London, United Kingdom. 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 286,000. 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.
Precious metal content: Silver — bullion value provides a price floor, and many circulated examples were melted during the 1979–1980 and post-2010 silver spikes, reducing the surviving population.
Catalogue reference: Listed as KM# 16, Sp# 6633. Use this reference code when cross-checking auction archives, dealer inventories, and standard printed catalogues.

Curator Insights

Historical context

During the period of 1942, Ireland maintained a policy of neutrality through the Emergency, which impacted the logistics surrounding coinage production and metal supplies. The half crown served as a high-value denomination within the pre-decimal Irish pound system, which remained pegged to the British pound sterling. Minting was outsourced to the Royal Mint in London due to the lack of a national mint in the Irish state at this time.

Design heritage

The motifs were designed by Percy Metcalfe, a notable English medalist who also created the portrait of George V for British coinage. The obverse features the Cláirseach, or Irish harp, which serves as the national emblem, while the reverse depicts an Irish Hunter horse. This animal imagery was part of a cohesive series introduced to represent the agricultural and natural heritage of the Irish Free State and its successor.

Varieties and technical notes

This issue features a milled edge and was struck in silver at the Royal Mint's Tower Hill facility. Collectors should examine the strike quality on the horse's flank and the harp strings for signs of die wear, which are common for this high-relief copper-nickel and silver series. While no major die varieties are widely documented for this specific year, proof-like strikes from early die states command a premium.

Survival and modern availability

With a mintage of 286,000, the 1942 half crown is significantly scarcer than later cupro-nickel issues. Many examples were withdrawn and melted following the transition to base metal alloys in 1947 and the eventual decimalization of the currency in 1971. Survivors are frequently found in circulated grades, while Mint State examples are difficult to source due to the economic conditions of the early 1940s.

Other ½ Crown = 2 Shillings 6 Pence issues

Explore more

Browse more items in the full catalog or view Ireland in the country guide.