½ Penny - Elizabeth II 1st portrait; without 'BRITT:OMN' (1970) — United Kingdom

Overview

A British ½ Penny coin from 1970, part of the Elizabeth II series. This is the first portrait without 'BRITT:OMN'.

Specifications

Country

United Kingdom

Year

1970

Composition

Bronze

Weight

5.67 g

Diameter

25.4 mm

Thickness

1.3 mm

Mint

Royal Mint (Tower Hill) & Royal Mint, Llantrisant, United Kingdom

Shape

Round

Technique

Milled

References

KM#896, Sp#4158

Issuer

United Kingdom

Design details

Collector insights

• Decimal transition: Struck around the UK's 15 February 1971 Decimal Day, when the pound was subdivided into 100 new pence and pre-decimal denominations were phased out.
• Design heritage: Mary Gillick (obverse), Thomas Humphrey Paget (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 (Tower Hill) & Royal Mint, Llantrisant, 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 750,400. 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#896, Sp#4158. Use this reference code when cross-checking auction archives, dealer inventories, and standard printed catalogues.

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