George III halfpenny

Matthew Wagner said he has been collecting coins since 2024 and recently purchased the George III halfpenny shown here. He is curious about its authenticity so he asked for my opinion.

On the obverse is a laureate head of King George and on the reverse is the seated figure of Britannia with the date, 1775, below. The coin would grade nearly Fine but is it an official issue or a forgery?

By the 1770s Birmingham was Great Britain’s leading producer of a wide range of small metallic items. Included amongst the latter were buttons of various shapes and sizes. Some buttons were plain whilst others had designs of a range of things on the side that faced front when they were being worn. The designs needed dies and some men became highly skilled in their production. A few unscrupulous die sinkers developed a side-line in dies for coins; some were so close to official dies that the coins struck from them passed from hand to hand without being challenged.

Valuation

I’d say that the halfpenny pictured here is an unofficial striking. It’s very close indeed to the genuine article but not quite perfect. What impact does all this have on its value? Surprisingly, official and unofficial strikes sell for similar figures. As its condition is nearly Fine I’d price it at £20-25, which is the same price range as I would have said were is perfectly genuine.

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