Australia Elizabeth II 1/2 Penny

History

1/2 Penny 1959-1964, KM# 61, Australia, Elizabeth II

1/2 Penny 1959-1964, KM# 61, Australia, Elizabeth II, Perth Mint, with dot

1/2 Penny 1959-1964, KM# 61, Australia, Elizabeth II, Melbourne Mint, without dot

Obverse. Photo © Museums Victoria / CC BY

Description

Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 1926–2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and of 14 other Commonwealth realms. Her reign of 70 years and seven months, which began on 6 February 1952, was the longest of any British monarch in history.

When her father died in February 1952, Elizabeth—then 25 years old—became queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (Sri Lanka), as well as Head of the Commonwealth. Elizabeth reigned as a constitutional monarch through major political changes such as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, devolution in the United Kingdom, the decolonisation of Africa, and the United Kingdom's accession to the European Communities and withdrawal from the European Union. The number of her realms varied over time as territories have gained independence and some realms have become republics.

Times of personal significance have included the births and marriages of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, her coronation in 1953 and the celebrations of her Silver, Golden, Diamond, and Platinum jubilees in 1977, 2002, 2012, and 2022, respectively.

Obverse	Person (king, queen, tsar etc.) Elizabeth II First portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II (laureate bust) facing right, wearing a wreath. It was introduced in 1953, one year after the Queen acceded to the throne. It captures the grace and youth of the 26-year-old new Queen. Her hair is restrained by a laureate crown which is tied with ribbons at the back of her head. The Queen's shoulders are bare and the truncation follows the curve of the coin. ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FIDEI DEFENSATRIX means Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen and Defender of the Faith. Engraver: Mary Gillick +ELIZABETH·II·DEI·GRATIA·REGINA·F:D:
Reverse	Animal (fish, bird, mammal etc.) Kangaroo Symbol, amulet, talisman Commonwealth Star Commonwealth Star and Kangaroo. Coins minted at Melbourne had a dot at the end of the word PENNY, while coins from Perth did not have a dot. The Commonwealth Star (also known as the Federation Star, the Seven Point Star, or the Star of Federation) is a seven-pointed star symbolising the Federation of Australia which came into force on 1 January 1901. The Commonwealth Star is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Australian flag, as opposed to the similar flag of New Zealand. The kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). Kangaroos are endemic to Australia. Kangaroos have large, powerful hind legs, large feet adapted for leaping, a long muscular tail for balance, and a small head. Like most marsupials, female kangaroos have a pouch called a marsupium in which joeys complete postnatal development. The kangaroo is an unofficial symbol of Australia and appears as an emblem on the Australian coat of arms and on some of its currency and is used by some of Australia's well known organisations. Engraver: George Kruger Gray AUSTRALIA KG 1963 HALF PENNY.
Edge	Plain