Edward VII acceded to the throne in 1901 and reigned for just nine years. Whereas his mother Queen Victoria excluded him from matters of state as Prince of Wales, Edward VII wanted his own heir, the future George V, to have an active role.

Representing the United Kingdom, designs of Britannia have appeared on coinage for centuries. First introduced in the thirteenth century as an actual coin, the halfpenny was adopted in the decimal system after 1971 before being demonetised in 1984 and removed from circulation.

This coin is also available as part of The Making of Modern Britain Edward VII Bundle, which offers collectors the opportunity to own an example of each of the circulating coins of Edward VII’s reign.