New Guinea 1929 Proof Halfpenny KM#2 PCGS PR65
We Last Sold This Item For: | $1,092.50 |
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Last Sold On: | 2/8/2024 |
# Sold In Past 12 Months: | 1 |
Recent Sales in this Category
United States 1922 Gold 20 Dollar Saint-Gaudens KM# 131 about Unc
New Guinea 1929 Proof Halfpenny KM#2 PCGS PR65
Obverse: Date splits denomination, legend around
Reverse: Crown above denomination, legend around
Diameter: 19.00mm | Weight: 4.00g | Alloy: Copper-Nickel
Mintage: 400
This scarce halfpenny was struck by the Melbourne Mint when New Guinea was a territory of Australia.
The Royal Mint Annual Report for 1929 states: "The first issue of the “perforated” coinage for Papua New Guinea was struck by Lady Somers on November 12th, and was completed within a month."
The production run wasn't without controversy, as Bill Myatt & Tom Hanley recount in their excellent book "COLLECTING AUSTRALIAN COINS":
"Australian coins circulated in both Papua and New Guinea, and in 1928 it was decided to strike a distinctive issue of pennies and halfpence for New Guinea.
Colonel Law of the Melbourne mint staff designed two coins that were just the thing for the local inhabitants, but not quite right for the traders. When the coins arrived in New Guinea, traders there hit the roof. The penny and halfpenny were the same size as the Australian shilling and sixpence already in use.
What was worse, as a matter of convenience most of the coins circulated in the form of fusees. A fusee consisted of a known number of coins rolled up in strong paper, and New Guinea commerce relied on fusees of 100 shillings. Once the penny and halfpenny had got into circulation, no trader would have been able to take a fusee on trust again. Everyone would have had to be unwrapped and checked.
So the traders refused to handle the new coins and they were sent back to the mint. Some were remelted, about 400 penny and halfpenny sets were sold to collectors or given to important visitors."
The 1929 proof pairs remain quite popular with collectors right round the world today. Not only are they essential to any complete set of PNG coins, they are an interesting complement to any collection of Australian pre-decimal coins.
Click the PCGS icon below to verify the certificate details for this coin directly on the PCGS website.
Click the PCGS icon below to verify the certificate details for this coin directly on the PCGS website.
SKU: 213513
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