½ Penny - Victoria

Features

Issuer	Nova Scotia (Canadian provinces)
Queen	Victoria (1855-1901)
Type	Emergency coinage › Official necessity coins
Year	1856
Value	½ Penny (1⁄480)
Currency	Pound (1812-1860)
Composition	Bronze
Weight	7.60 g
Diameter	27.7 mm
Thickness	1.7 mm
Shape	Round
Technique	Milled
Orientation	Variable alignment ↺
Demonetized	Yes
Number	N# 935
References	CCT# NS-5 Charlton Press (publisher). Canadian Colonial Tokens. Charlton Press (13 volumes). , KM# 5 Standard Catalog of World Coins (86 volumes). , Breton His# 876 Pierre-Napoléon Breton; 1894. Histoire illustrée des monnaies et jetons du Canada = Illustrated history of coins and tokens relating to Canada. P.N. Breton & Co., Montréal, Quebec, Canada.

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Obverse

The portrait of the Queen Victoria.

Script: Latin

Lettering: VICTORIA D: G: BRITANNIAR: REG: F: D: 1856

Engraver: Leonard Charles Wyon

Reverse

A bouquet of Mayflowers (nickname of this coin).

Script: Latin

Lettering:
PROVINCE OF NOVA SCOTIA
HALFPENNY TOKEN

Designer: John S. Thompson

Edge

Plain

Mint

Heaton and Sons / The Mint Birmingham (Heaton and Sons / The Mint Birmingham Limited), United Kingdom (1850-2003)

Comments

Weight: 7.1 - 7.9g
Diameter: 27.7 - 27.8mm

NS-5A1 Bronze, medal alignment
NS-5A1a Bronze, coin alignment
NS-5A2 Brass, medal alignment

Note: 2 obverse varieties, one with and one without the designers initials (L.C.W.) below the queen's bust. It appears that the with L.C.W. was struck only as proofs.
Proofs of the no L.C.W. also exist.
A variety of the no L.C.W. was struck from a blundered die where an inverted "A" punch was used to repair a defective "V" in PROVINCE.

This was the first official (government-approved) coin of Nova Scotia. The reverse design, a sprig of mayflower, is now the provincial flower and is considered one of the most beautiful coins made for North America.

These coins were minted by the Heaton's Mint as the Royal Mint of London was overworked.

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Date	Mintage	F	VF	XF		Frequency
Undetermined
1856		$ 4.00	$ 9.30	$ 11	NS-5A1	52%
1856					NS-5A1a	2%
1856	720 000	$ 7.80	$ 17	$ 30	NS-5A2	47%

Values in the table above are expressed in USD. They are based on evaluations by Numista users and sales realized on Internet platforms. They serve as an indication only; they are not intended to be relied upon for buying, selling or exchanging. Numista does not buy or sell coins or banknotes.

Frequencies show the percentage of Numista users who own each year or variety among all the users who own this coin. Since some users own several versions, the sum may be greater than 100%.

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Numista Rarity index: 26 Search tips

This index is based on the data of Numista members collections. It ranges from 0 to 100, 0 meaning a very common coin or banknote and 100 meaning a rare coin or banknote among Numista members.

Past sales

Pictures	Sale	Date	Version	Grade	Sold price
	Katz Auction 196 Lot 1882	29 May 2026	Undetermined	XF	USD 32.48 (EUR 28.00) (+ buyer's premium)
© Katz Coins Notes & Supplies Corp.
	Katz Auction 63 Lot 3557	26 Jul 2022	Undetermined	XF	USD 5.80 (EUR 5.00) (+ buyer's premium)
© Katz Coins Notes & Supplies Corp.