Hello Chastity,

You have a half penny from Great Britain. This series runs during Queen Victoria's long reign, starting in 1838 and ending in 1901. Different versions of the coin bear the queen's likeness at various stages of her life, but the inscription always says Victoria DG (DG = Dei Gratia = by the grace of God). This page applies both pennies and half pennies dated between 1860 and 1894.

On the reverse is Britannia, who is kind of like America's Miss Liberty. She is a fanciful figure who embodies virtue, freedom, and strength.

As to value of these coins, most are not very valuable. Millions and millions were made, and even though coin collectors gobble them up for their collections, there are still plenty around. Here are some typical catalog values for these coins.

HALF PENNY
worn: $3 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $8
well preserved: $40
fully uncirculted: $250

ONE PENNY
worn: $5 US dollars approximate catalog value
average circulated: $15
well preserved: $70
fully uncirculted: $400

There are a few special dates in the series. These are not readily available to collectors, so they command strong premiums. The *good dates* are:

HALF PENNY
1862: $700
1871: $70

PENNY
1864: $100
1867: $40
1869: $350
1871: $80
1874: $50
1875: $200

The value to the right of each date is for average circulated condition.

Use our Important Terminology link to understand how catalog value relates to actual value.

If you are a serious collector, there are several interesting minting varieties in this long series. For instance, an 1865 over 1863 half penny catalogs for $600 in uncirculated condition. Minting varieties like these are well beyond the scop of the CoinQuest forum. If you are interested in such varieties, seek out one of the many good collecting sites on the Internet, or consult with a knowledgeable collector or coin dealer.