Coin

½ Penny (1971) — Ireland

Ireland • 1971 • KM# 19, Sp# 6710

½ Penny (1971) — Ireland

Overview

Irish ½ Penny Proof coin from 1971.

Specifications

Country
Ireland
Year
1971
Composition
Bronze
Weight
1.78 g
Diameter
17.14 mm
Thickness
1.15 mm
Mint
Royal Mint, Llantrisant, United Kingdom
Shape
Round
Technique
Milled
References
KM# 19, Sp# 6710
Issuer
Ireland

Design details

Obverse

Irish harp with the country name to the left and the year to the right.

Reverse

Decorative initial 'O' resembling a bird, out of the 'Book of Kells' and the denomination below.

Collector insights

  • Decimal transition: This coin sits inside Ireland's Decimal Day changeover (15 February 1971). Higher-denomination decimal pieces were released in October 1969 to let the public adjust before the pre-decimal system was withdrawn.
  • Design heritage: Gabriel Hayes is credited as the designer. Designer attribution helps distinguish this issue from later restrikes or unofficial copies that reuse only the motif.
  • Struck at: 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.
  • Low mintage: Only 50,000 pieces reported. This puts the issue into key-date territory for its series; expect steep grade-based price scaling and a higher counterfeit risk — provenance and third-party grading matter.
  • Catalogue reference: Listed as KM# 19, Sp# 6710. Use this reference code when cross-checking auction archives, dealer inventories, and standard printed catalogues.

More from Ireland

Other ½ Penny issues

Explore more

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