Half-cent coin (Netherlands)

Dutch half-cent coin (Halfje) from 1821
Dutch half-cent coin (Halfje) from 1821

The half-cent coin was a Dutch coin used from 1818 to 1940. It was the smallest-denomination coin of the decimal Dutch guilder until its withdrawal from circulation after the German occupation of the Netherlands in 1940. It was nicknamed "Halfje", similar to the Kwartje (the suffix -je is a diminutive in the Dutch language, similar to the English -ie).

The coin was worth 1⁄2 cent or 1⁄200 of a Dutch guilder and its first version was minted until 1877. The second version was used until 1940. A half-cent was not used in the coinage during the German occupation and was not reinstated after the liberation of the Netherlands.

Dimensions and weight

Dimensions 1⁄2 cent 1818–1877 1⁄2 cent 1878–1940 Refs
Gram 1.92 gram(1817-1837)
1.9 gram(1841-1847)
1.92 gram(1850-1877) 		1.25 gram [1]
Diameter 16 mm 14 mm
Thickness 1  mm (1841-1847) 1.24  mm(1878-1901)
1.22 mm(1909-1940)
Metal Copper Bronze

Versions

Monarch Mint Material Obverse Reverse Edge Minting years Refs
William I Utrecht and
Brussels 		Copper Crowned W between the mint year Crowned Dutch coat of arms between value Smooth with no
edge lettering 		1818(U)
1819(U)
1821(U and B)
1822(U and B)
1823(B)
1824(U and B)
1826-1828(U and B)
1829(U)
1831-1833(U)
1837(U) 		[2]
William II Utrecht Copper Crowned W between the mint year Crowned Dutch coat of arms between value Smooth with no
edge lettering 		1841, 1843,
1846, 1847
William III Utrecht Copper Crowned W between the mint year Crowned Dutch coat of arms between value Smooth with no
edge lettering 		1850-1855, 1857,
1859, 1861–1865,
1867, 1869, 1870,
1872, 1873,
1875–1877
William III Utrecht Bronze Crowned lion with sword and quiver Value between two
bonded orange branches 		Reeded with no
edge lettering 		1878, 1883–1886
Wilhelmina Utrecht Bronze Crowned lion with sword and quiver Value between two
bonded orange branches 		Reeded with no
edge lettering 		1891, 1894, 1898,
1900, 1901
Wilhelmina Utrecht Bronze Crowned lion with sword and quiver
(smaller lettering, mint and
mint master mark) 		Value between two
bonded orange branches 		Reeded with no
edge lettering 		1903, 1906
Wilhelmina Utrecht Bronze Crowned lion with sword and quiver
(different crown and bigger lettering) 		Value between two
bonded orange branches
(different orange branches
and bigger lettering) 		Reeded with no
edge lettering 		1909, 1911, 1912,
1914–1917, 1921,
1922, 1928, 1930,
1934, 1936–1938,
1940

References

  1. ^ "numista.com". Numista. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
  2. ^ "nomisma.nl". Retrieved 2014-05-17.