Coins for collectors - Uncirculated British 1964 Half Penny / Halfpenny Coin / Great Britain

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The ship featured on the reverse design, which first appeared on the 1937 halfpenny pattern of Edward VIII, is based on Sir Francis Drake's Golden Hind, in which he became the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe between 1577 and 1580.

That’s what we’re here to find out! We’re going to explore the 1964 penny value and the factors that determine it. And we’ll learn more about its history and design along the way.

Half Penny 1964 - British Coins Price Guide and Values

All other things being equal, the most valuable copper coins are those graded red. Next in line are red and brown, with brown being the least valuable. Early Pennies were pure silver, exchangeable for and worth their weight in the precious metal. The Halfpence coins were, likewise, half the weight and also equal in value to their weight in the precious metal content.

The old pre-decimal Penny, was two-hundred-and-fortieth of a pound, and was symbolised with a letter 'd'. This is derived from the Roman denarius coin. An old halfpenny, 1/2d, was therefore, 1/480th of a pound sterling. After 1971, the decimal halfpenny was two-hundredth of a pound, it is symbolised with 'p', as '1/2p'. The 1964 penny has the same dimensions and composition as most of the earlier Lincoln Wheat pennies. It measures precisely 19 millimeters across and weighs 3.11 grams. And it’s made of 95 per cent copper and 5 per cent zinc.Bronze Pennies weighed just under 10g and measuring slightly under 31mm. The Halfpenny coins weighed 5.67g and measured 25.48mm. Until 1937 the Halfpenny design followed that of the Penny. After this date, on the reverse of half Penny coins, Britannia was replaced with an image of Sir Francis Drake's ship the Golden Hind. The early coins had a simple image of two ears of wheat on their reverse. But 1959 marked 150 years since Lincoln’s birth, and it was considered time for a change. Consequently, The Royal Mint began to withdraw copper Pennies in 1861. They were replaced by smaller and lighter weight bronze coins in 1863. These were minted by James Watt & Co plus the Heaton Mint, both of Birmingham. Indeed the only coins that contained silver were the Kennedy half dollars from 1965 to 1970, but their composition was not too pure either. They included only 40% silver. Thus, the U.S. Mint devised the SMS (Special Mint Sets) from 1965 to 1967 to eliminate the shortage of circulating coins. What does a coin collector look for in the first place? The mint mark. Therefore, to discourage the public from hoarding coins, the Mint issued all Mint Special Set coins from 1965 to 1967 without any mint mark.

The shortage of small coins was finally resolved in 1797. In this year, industrialist, Matthew Bolton was authorised by The Bank of England to strike the first legal tender copper one Penny and two Penny coins.Toning: The copper in a 1964 SMS penny can cause it to tone or change color over time, developing a red or brown hue. Most 1964 pennies are worth only their face value. And even coins in uncirculated condition are likely to be worth only a few dollars. In 1811 Bolton supplied The Royal Mint with machinery for a new mint at Tower Hill. Under the Great Recoinage of 1816 this began striking gold and silver coins. It was not until 1825, in the reign of George IV, that it began to mint copper Halfpence coins and Pennies. Edge: The edge of a 1964 SMS penny will have a square rim, unlike the rounded edge of a regular penny. Coins are graded from 1 to 70. 1 denotes an identifiable coin in poor condition and 70 is a flawless example.

Look at the obverse (or “heads” side) of a 1964 penny, and the chances are it will look very familiar. It carries the same image of President Lincoln that’s been appearing on cents for over 100 years.A 1964 penny is not considered rare in general, as over 3 billion pennies were produced that year. However, there is one specific type of 1964 penny that is rare and highly valued by collectors. Satin finish: The surface of a 1964 SMS penny will have a matte-like finish, with less shine than a regular penny. This is due to a special sandblasting process used during production. The 1964 penny is what’s known as a Lincoln penny. These were first issued in 1909, and continue to be produced to this day.