Groat (coin) Groat (coin) The groat is the traditional name of a long-defunct English and Irish silver coin worth four pence, and also a Scottish coin originally worth fourpence, with later issues being valued at eightpence and one shilling. The name has also been applied to any thick or large coin, such as the "Groschen" ("grosso"), a silver coin issued by Tyrol in 1271 and Venice in the 13th century, which was the first of this general size to circulate in the Holy Roman Empire and other parts of Europe. The immediate ancestor to the groat was the French "gros tournois" or
Half crown (Irish coin) and it was withdrawn on 1 January 1970. Half crown (Irish coin) The half crown (2s 6d) () coin was a subdivision of the pre-decimal Irish pound, worth of a pound. The half crown was commonly called "two and six" due to its value of two shillings and sixpence (indicated on the coin itself as '2s 6d'). The original minting of the coin from 1928 to 1943 contained 75% silver, a higher content than the equivalent British coin. The silver coins were quite distinguishable as they had a whiter appearance than the later cupronickel variety minted from 1951. The silver