When did the old english half crowns cease to be made from whole silver?

alan.holmes

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Jan 3, 2011, 4:30:35 PM1/3/11

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I understand that they changed from being completely silver to some other
metal.

But when did it happen?

Alan

Jud

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Jan 3, 2011, 4:58:37 PM1/3/11

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IIRC...1946

Ken Barr

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Jan 3, 2011, 5:38:10 PM1/3/11

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In article
<5e341ac4-69c9-4022...@y31g2000vbt.googlegroups.com>,
Jud <numis...@aol.com> wrote:

According to the Krause world coin catalogs, British half crowns were
"silver" (undeclared fineness) prior to 1715, sterling silver (.925
fine) from 1715 to 1919, .500 fine silver from 1920 to 1946 and
copper-nickel from 1947 until 1970 whence decimalisation eliminated the
denomination.

--
Ken Barr Numismatics email: k...@kenbarr.com
P. O. Box 32541 website: http://www.kenbarr.com
San Jose, CA 95152 Coins, currency, exonumia, souvenir cards, etc.
408-272-3247 NEXT SHOW: San Jose CC (Doubletree Hotel), Jan 28 - 30

Alan Murphy

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Jan 4, 2011, 5:58:59 AM1/4/11

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"Ken Barr" <k...@kenbarr.com> wrote in message
news:ken-B2DE15.1...@nntp.aioe.org...

Spot on, Ken.

The dates for the dilution of silver content are
interesting to say the least. 1920 and 1946.
Almost immediately after WW1 and WW2 in
each case.

Cheers, Alan.

Frank Provasek

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Jan 5, 2011, 2:51:32 AM1/5/11

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As soon as most of the .925 silver coins were withdrawn, the UK
devalued the pound from $4.02 to $2.80 on 19 September 1949, after
near 2 years of denials that it would do so.

oly

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Jan 5, 2011, 3:22:28 AM1/5/11

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????? In this time context, don't you mean after most of the 0.500
silver coins were withdrawn???

Probably most of the pre-1920 sterling coins were gone by 1940, if not
much earlier. Though I have actually heard people slightly older than
myself recount their anecdotal memories of some Victorian six pence
shillings and florins still popping up in the mid-1950s.

oly

Frank Provasek

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Jan 5, 2011, 4:57:33 AM1/5/11

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Yes, should have been .500 silver coins withdrawn in the late 1940s.
I was reading through a text that used the term "pounds sterling"
about 40 times.

Peter

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Jan 5, 2011, 11:07:35 AM1/5/11

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Even so, I saw a moderate number of the 50% Ag coins in circulation in
the early 70s and even an occasional 92.5% coin. Up in Scotland, they
seemed to be rarer than 20 pound notes.

oly

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Jan 5, 2011, 11:22:57 AM1/5/11

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> seemed to be rarer than 20 pound notes.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

After decimalization, these must have been limited to shillings/5 new
pence and/or florins/10 new pence???

On my first trip to London in late 1985, copper-nickel shillings and C-
N florins from the later years of George VI were occasionally tendered
in change. Because of my numismatic background, I understood how
these older coins fit into the new system. I took mine home with me,
of course.

oly

Peter

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Jan 5, 2011, 4:02:34 PM1/5/11

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> oly- Hide quoted text -

>
> - Show quoted text -

I took a few home, as well. Most of the ones in circulation there
were not attractive. I think I still have too many left.

In my previous message I meant to say that the 50% coins did not seem
as rare as 20 pound notes, then.