BAKEWELL UNION 1/2 PENNY COLLECTION
1937

Owner Comments:

In 1937 King George VI was crowned and therefore his effigy had to be placed on the obverse of all empire coinage. Interestingly he faces the same direction as King George V which would seem incorrect since every change in monarch was supposed to include a change in the direction in which such monarch faces on empire coinage. It is not incorrect because Edward VIII was crowned before George VI and his effigy would have faced right and opposite to George V but due to his very short reign & subsequent abdication no coins were struck with his effigy for South African coinage. This meant that in order to keep with the correct tradition George VI would have to then face left which is the same as George V. The reverse design for the Half Penny shows a Dutch East India merchantman in almost full sail on the sea & with the same inscription surrounding it as with the Half Penny reverse design seen on half pennies from 1931 to 1936. The reverse design remained the same from 1937 until 1950 but the obverse design only remined the same until 1947. Reverse design artist: Kruger Gray (KG above waterline next to ship) Obverse design artist: Henry Paget (HP under truncation of neck).