Magistrates Market, 2 Front Street, Pontefract, WF8 1NL, United Kingdom
Collectors Reference Area 2 George III 1799 Halfpenny
I have been passionately persuing all known varieties of 1799 halfpenny for some years now and have managed to find and catalogue nearly all of the known varieties. I hope that this area will help you identify the halfpenny that you have. All the standard varieties are drawn from - English Copper Tin and Bronze Coins by C Wilson Peck - Coins in the British Museum 1558-1958, second edition, second printing 1970, British Museum.
GEORGE III 1799 BRONZED PROOF HALFPENNY
George III 1799 Bronzed Proof Halfpenny
George III 1799 Bronzed Proof Halfpenny
George III 1799 Bronzed Proof Halfpenny
(Peck 1233 KH 16+ ; S.3778).
A beautiful Halfpenny wth a stand out comma shaped flaw on the the bust of George
George III 1799 Bronzed Proof Halfpenny
George III 1799 Bronzed Proof Halfpenny
George III 1799 Bronzed Proof Halfpenny
Look closely to see a lump underneath Britannia's arm pit. The ship floats to the left of Britannia in a relativley calm sea.
George III 1799 Bronzed Proof Halfpenny
George III 1799 Bronzed Proof Halfpenny
George III 1799 Bronzed Proof Halfpenny
The ship has very small flags on the mast and a number of gunprts along a raised line running along the length of the hull - 4 to the bow a prominent gap and 1 to the rear.
GEORGE III 1799 HALFPENNY 5 INCUSE GUNPORTS - TALL SHIP-
George III 1799 Halfpenny tall ship
George III 1799 Halfpenny tall ship
George III 1799 Halfpenny tall ship
(Peck 1248 BM 7+ ; S.3778).
Not a recognised variiety by Peck but there is definately a difference here and I have found this to be a scarcer type - 5 incuse gunports tall ship
GEORGE III 1799 HALFPENNY TALL SHIP
George III 1799 Halfpenny tall ship
George III 1799 Halfpenny tall ship
Again the reverse of the halfpenny shows a ship to the left of Britannia. By looking through a loupe and examining the hull of the ship you will be able to see 5 incuse gunports but this time on a much taller ship.
GEORGE III 1799 HALFPENNY TALL SHIP
George III 1799 Halfpenny tall ship
GEORGE III 1799 HALFPENNY TALL SHIP
A beautiful tall ship but with 5 incuse gunports. - the mast extend to just below Britannia's knee cap where as on other examples only extends half way up her right shin.
GEORGE III 1799 HALFPENNY 9 INCUSE GUNPORTS - TALL SHIP-
GEORGE III 1799 HALFPENNY Obverse
GEORGE III 1799 HALFPENNY -SHIP CLOSE UP
GEORGE III 1799 HALFPENNY Obverse
9 relief gunports (Peck 1250 P + ; S.3778).
To date this is the only example I have ever handled.
GEORGE III 1799 HALFPENNY REVERSE
GEORGE III 1799 HALFPENNY -SHIP CLOSE UP
GEORGE III 1799 HALFPENNY Obverse
Again the reverse of the halfpenny shows a ship to the left of Britannia. By looking through a loupe and examining the lenghth of the hull of the ship you will be able to see 9 relief gunports.
GEORGE III 1799 HALFPENNY -SHIP CLOSE UP
GEORGE III 1799 HALFPENNY -SHIP CLOSE UP
GEORGE III 1799 HALFPENNY -SHIP CLOSE UP
I have had to reduced the light and contrast to demonstrate where the 9 relief gunports are on this coin. There also appears to be more than the 9 described by Peck here.
George III 1799 Halfpenny Bronze Proof
KH 16 OBVERSE
KH 26 Obverse.
as type: GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA REX
Details as follows:
1. * dot (raised) on lowest fold of shoulder drapery. The shape of the fold and the position of the dot upon it vary with the different working dies.
2. Brooch with 6 square jewels.
3. Wreath has 11 leaves, but there are no branching veins.
4. Tie riband shows one loop with two loose ends: not striated.
5. There is a prominent raised 'comma' shaped flaw on the drapery or the neck-line.
KH 16 reverse
Rev. as type BRITANNIA
Details as follows:
1. Middle prong of trident points to left of first limb of N.
2. ∴ (raised) on rock to right
3. Shield has a thin raised rim
4. Olive branch bares 14 leaves
5. Ship has a poop with a very small flag, 3 or 4 very minute gunports
6. There is a small irregular raised lump in the field, close under Britannia's right arm pit. Interestingly examples from the Herman Selig collection shows that this lump was sometimes filed out. It must have had to have been a very small file and fine workman to omit this lump!.
7. The '1' of the date is usually clear of the sea.
PECK 1248 BM (7) + 5 incuse GUNPORTS - tall ship -
This beautifully worked tall ship has yet another rigging arrangement a long flag to the main mast and has 5 incuse gunports. ** Peck mentions that over 50 or more different ships of variety (a) could probably be distinguished - the sea also appears to vary with each ship, as it was doubtless engraved at the same time the ship was punchd in. **
BACK
GEORGE III 1799 HALFPENNY 5 INCUSE GUNPORTS - TALL SHIP-
KH 26 OBVERSE
KH 26 Obverse.
as type: GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA REX
Details as follows:
1. * dot (raised) on lowest fold of shoulder drapery. The shape of the fold and the position of the dot upon it vary with the different working dies.
2. Brooch with 6 square jewels.
3. Wreath has 11 leaves, but there are no branching veins.
4. Tie riband shows one loop with two loose ends: not striated.
KH 26 reverse
Rev. as type BRITANNIA
Details as follows:
1. Middle prong of trident points to left of first limb of N.
2. ∴ (raised) on rock to right
3. Shield has a thin raised rim
4. Olive branch bares 14 leaves
5. Ship has a poop with a very small flag, 3 or 4 very minute gunports
6. The '1' of the date is usually clear of the sea.
PECK 1248 BM (7) + 5 incuse GUNPORTS - tall ship -
This beautifully worked tall ship has yet another rigging arrangement a long flag to the main mast and has 5 incuse gunports. ** Peck mentions that over 50 or more different ships of variety (a) could probably be distinguished - the sea also appears to vary with each ship, as it was doubtless engraved at the same time the ship was punchd in. **
BACK
GEORGE III 1799 HALFPENNY 9 INCUSE GUNPORTS - TALL SHIP-
KH 26 OBVERSE
KH 26 Obverse.
as type: GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA REX
Details as follows:
1. * dot (raised) on lowest fold of shoulder drapery. The shape of the fold and the position of the dot upon it vary with the different working dies.
2. Brooch with 6 square jewels.
3. Wreath has 11 leaves, but there are no branching veins.
4. Tie riband shows one loop with two loose ends: not striated.
KH 26 reverse
Rev. as type BRITANNIA
Details as follows:
1. Middle prong of trident points to left of first limb of N.
2. ∴ (raised) on rock to right
3. Shield has a thin raised rim
4. Olive branch bares 14 leaves
5. Ship has a poop with a very small flag, 3 or 4 very minute gunports
6. The '1' of the date is usually clear of the sea.
PECK 1248 BM (7) + 5 incuse GUNPORTS - tall ship -
This beautifully worked tall ship has yet another rigging arrangement. I had to take this photograph under a different light but the lustre remains as the examples above. Here you can see the amount of gunports on ths ship you could even argue it has 11 if you really wanted to!!
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George III 1799 Halfpenny Bronze Proof -
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GEORGE III 1799 HALFPENNY 5 INCUSE GUNPORTS - TALL SHIP- -
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GEORGE III 1799 HALFPENNY 9 INCUSE GUNPORTS - TALL SHIP-
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