britain 1154-1189 Silver halfpenny, Henry II , England (#1c) graded

18mm, 0.81 grams.

Half of a penny which was cut into half to make a halfpenny.

Old English pennies were cut into halves and quarters to create smaller change, as there were no readily available smaller denominations like halfpennies or farthings until King Edward I introduced them in 1279. People would cut a penny in half or into fourths to make smaller transactions when needed.