![New Guinea, Penny & Half Penny Pair, 1929 [WC-554] - Image 2](https://colonialcoins.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/WC-554-2.jpg)
![New Guinea, Penny & Half Penny Pair, 1929 [WC-554] - Image 3](https://colonialcoins.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/WC-554-3.jpg)
Description
British Empire, Territory of New Guinea, King George V (1910-1936 AD), Cupro-Nickel Penny and Half Penny Pair, 1929, Royal mint Melbourne branch, Australia. Obverse: Punched hole central, Royal Sceptres of Office positioned either saltire (penny) or upright (half penny), Tudor Crown above, tooth necklace and mark of value below, legend surrounds, “GEORGIUS V. D G REX ET IND. IMP.”. Reverse: Punched hole central, lattice-like structure form a cross, totem-like design extend into angles, denomination and date surrounds below, country surrounds above. KM-1 & KM-2. Some scattered field marks, else a very rare pair representing one of four hundred sets in total, near Mint State.
The Royal mint branch in Melbourne minted 63,000 pennies and 25,000 half pennies dated 1929 for the Territory of New Guinea but due to their unpopularity were returned – only 400 pairs were kept and sold, with the balance of the mintage destroyed.
