Three halfpence (British coin)
The three halfpence was a small British silver coin worth 1½d (one and a half pence). It was equal to 1/160 of a pound or 1/8 of a shilling and was minted for use in British colonies, mainly Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and the West Indies, from 1834 to 1843, with later issues in 1860 and 1862. Proof coins were struck in 1870.
The coin’s weight and size were about 0.71 g and 12 mm in diameter (slightly larger at 12.3 mm for 1834–37). It had a plain edge. The reverse always showed the denomination “1½” beneath a crown over the date, all within a wreath.
On the obverse, the portrait of the monarch changed over time. The 1834–1837 coins show a right-facing William IV with the inscription GULIELMUS IIII D G BRITANNIAR REX F D. Later coins show Queen Victoria with a left-facing portrait and the inscription VICTORIA D G BRITANNIAR REGINA F D. The coin was designed by William Wyon, with the crown-and-wreath reverse dating from 1834.
Because the colonies used standard sterling coin, the three halfpence is considered part of British coinage rather than a separate monetary system.
Locally in Jamaica, it was nicknamed a quatty, because its value was a quarter of a sixpence.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 19:26 (CET).