½ Penny - George III Bronzed Pattern (1788)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1788 |
| Denomination | ½ Penny |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Demonetised | 1969 |
| Composition | Bronze plated copper |
| Weight | 15.990g |
| Diameter | 31.0mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Lettered: RENDER TO CAESAR THE THINGS WHICH ARE CAESARS |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Jean-Pierre Droz |
| Rev. artist | Jean-Pierre Droz |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Laureate George III facing right in nude bust with long flowing hair. D.F. on truncation, Georgius III·D· G· Rex·, toothed border
Britannia seated left on globe in robe, with shield and spear, and
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AffiliateHalfpenny - George III Bronzed Pattern price history
Daily limit reachedHalfpenny - George III Bronzed Pattern value by grade
Realised auction prices · ⭐ Pro Expand rows for individual sale records| Grade | Latest | Median | 30d Δ | All-time range | Sales (1yr) | Total sales | Last sale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNC | £320.00 🔒 | £320.00 (1) | – | £320.00 – £320.00 | 0 | 1 | 01-09-2013 | |
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| VF | £55.00 🔒 | £55.00 (1) | – | £55.00 – £55.00 | 0 | 1 | 03-09-2006 | |
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About the 1788 Halfpenny - George III Bronzed Pattern
The 1788 Halfpenny - George III Bronzed Pattern is a collector ½ penny coin, struck in bronze plated copper. It weighs 15.99g and measures 31mm across. Reverse design: Britannia seated left on globe in robe, with shield and spear, and.
It is no longer legal tender (withdrawn 1969), so its value is to collectors only.
Common questions
How much is the 1788 Halfpenny - George III Bronzed Pattern worth?
Verified sold prices for the 1788 Halfpenny - George III Bronzed Pattern run from £55.00 to £320 across 2 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one.
Who designed the 1788 pattern halfpenny?
The dies were cut by Jean-Pierre Droz, a Swiss engraver whom Matthew Boulton persuaded to come to England in 1787 and to work at the Soho Mint in 1788. Tony Clayton notes that Droz cut dies for several patterns for the English coinage before leaving for France in 1791.
Did the 1788 Droz halfpenny ever circulate?
No. It is a pattern, a proposal for a new copper coinage that was not adopted. The next official halfpenny was not struck until 1799, when Boulton's Soho Mint produced a different design engraved by Conrad Heinrich Küchler.
What does the edge of the 1788 pattern halfpenny say?
On the lettered-edge examples it reads RENDER TO CAESAR THE THINGS WHICH ARE CAESARS, according to the Perth museum record of a silver striking and Wildwinds' descriptions of Peck 966 and 968. Other 1788 Droz patterns have a decorated guilloche edge instead.
How many 1788 bronzed pattern halfpennies were made?
No number struck is recorded. Documented examples include the Royal Mint Museum's RMM 1106 (Peck 967), listed in the Mint's 1874 and 1906 collection catalogues, and an early Soho piece (BMC 944) in the Ashmolean Museum's Soho collection.
How do I identify the 1788 Halfpenny - George III Bronzed Pattern?
Check the weight 15.99g and diameter 31mm and the metal (bronze plated copper) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
No regal halfpenny had been struck since 1775 when this pattern was made at Matthew Boulton's Soho Mint in Birmingham. Tony Clayton records that Boulton persuaded the Swiss engraver Jean-Pierre Droz to visit England in 1787 and to work for him at Soho in 1788. There Droz improved Boulton's coining machinery and cut dies for patterns for the English coinage, including this halfpenny, before leaving for France in the spring of 1791.
The Royal Mint at the Tower was also trialling designs that year: the Royal Mint Museum holds a copper Tower pattern halfpenny of 1788 with a plain edge. Neither design was adopted, and the next official halfpenny came only in 1799.
The obverse shows a laureate head of George III facing right with GEORGIVS III D G REX. The reverse has Britannia seated left, holding a sceptre and wreath and resting on a shield, with BRITANNIA 1788 around. Droz had first caught Boulton's attention with a 1786 pattern whose edge inscription was made by a new type of collar. Here the raised edge reads RENDER TO CAESAR THE THINGS WHICH ARE CAESARS, as recorded on a silver striking in Perth.
The Royal Mint Museum's bronzed example, RMM 1106 (Peck 967), weighs 15.96 g, has a raised lettered edge and both sides the same way up. It is recorded in the Mint's collection catalogues of 1874 and 1906. The Ashmolean's bronzed piece, an early Soho striking (BMC 944), weighs 16.37 g and measures 30.5 mm.
Collecting notes
The 1788 Droz pattern exists in several finishes, including gilt, plain copper, bronzed and silver, and with lettered or guilloche edges. When comparing a piece with a reference, match the metal, the edge and the presence or absence of D.F. on the truncation, which the Ashmolean records on its late Soho strikings but not its early ones.
No number struck is recorded. Writing of the Soho coppers, Clayton notes that W.J. Taylor made later strikes after buying the dies, and believes die corrosion marks are the main way to tell them apart. Pieces in plain copper and gilt are covered on the 1788 pattern halfpenny page.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- George III pattern halfpenny, 1788 (RMM 1106), The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Halfpenny, 1788 (early Soho), HCR152503, Heberden Coin Room, Ashmolean Museum (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Pictures of Half Penny Coins of George III, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Coin, Halfpenny, proof, 1788 (BC490), Culture Perth and Kinross, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- Coins of George III (Peck 966 and 968), Wildwinds (read 12 Oct 2026)
- George III pattern halfpenny, 1788 (RMM 1083, Tower), The Royal Mint Museum, via Museum Data Service (read 12 Oct 2026)
- The Halfpenny, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
- The Penny, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 12 Oct 2026)
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