Description
British Empire, Australia, King George V (1910-1936 AD), Æ Half Penny (5.65g, 25.5mm), 1923, Royal mint Melbourne branch. Obverse: Crowned bust of King George V facing to the left, wearing coronation robes, engraver’s initials “BM” (Edgar Bertram MacKennal) in relief on truncation, legend surrounds, “GEORGIVS V D.G. BRITT: OMN: REX F.D. IND: IMP:”. Reverse: Denomination “ONE HALF PENNY” central between scrolls above and below, all within inner rope and bead border, date below, legend surrounds, “COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA”. KM-23. Key date for the series, with a nice deep chocolate brown patina, most of the headband visible, six pearls and centre diamond present, very minor rim bump to reverse, details near Very Fine, reverse Very Fine.
The Obverse Latin legend reads “Geōrgius Quīntus, Deī Grātiā, Britanniārum Omnium Rēx, Fideī Dēfēnsor, Indiae Imperātor”, with an English translation of “George the Fifth, by the Grace of God, King of all the British People, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India”.