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
Halfpenny (British decimal coin) 1984. The reverse of the coin, designed by Christopher Ironside, was a representation of St Edward's Crown, with the numeral "" below the crown, and either (1971–1981) or (1982–1984) above the crown. Only one design of obverse was used on the halfpenny coin. The inscription around the portrait on the obverse was , where 19xx was the year of minting. Both sides of the coin are encircled by dots, a common feature on coins, known as beading. As on all decimal coins produced before 1984, the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Arnold Machin appeared on the obverse; in this