Halfpenny (British decimal coin) portrait the Queen wears the 'Girls of Great Britain and Ireland' Tiara. Annual number of coins released into general circulation (excludes proof sets) A decimal quarter-penny coin (to be struck in aluminium) was also proposed (which would have allowed the pre-decimal threepence to continue to circulate with a value of new pence), but was never produced. Halfpenny (British decimal coin) The British decimal halfpenny (p) coin was introduced in February 1971, at the time of decimalisation, and was worth one two-hundredth of a pound sterling. It was ignored in banking transactions, which were carried out in units of 1p. The
Coins of the pound sterling (97%), the intrinsic value of pre-1992 1p and 2p coins increased with the surge in metal prices of the mid-2000s, until by 2006 the coins, would, if melted down, have been worth about 50% more than their face value. (To do this, however, would be illegal, and they would have had to be melted in huge quantities to achieve significant gain.) In subsequent years the price of copper fell considerably from these peaks. The following are commemorative issues and are seldom encountered in normal circulation due to their precious metal content. The following decimal coins have been withdrawn from circulation