1944 AD., Great Britain, George VI, Royal mint London, ½ Penny, KM 844.

Great Britain, George VI, Royal mint London, engraver: Thomas Hugh Paget, 1944 AD.,
½ Penny (25,5 mm / 5,59 g), bronze (wartime composition, 0.970 copper, 0.005 tin, 0.025 zinc), 5,67 g theor. mint weight, mintage 81.840.000 , medal alignment ↑↑, smooth edge,
Obv.: GEORGIVS VI D: G: BR: OMN: REX F: D: IND: IMP: / HP , his bare head facing left, initials HP below truncation.
Rev.: HALF PENNY / HP / 1944 , value above the English galleon "The Golden Hind", ship under full sail left, year below, HP initials to right.
KM 844 ; Spink 4115b .

Year / Mintage
1937 24,504,000
1938 40,320,000
1939 28,925,000
1940 32,162,000
1941 45,120,000
1942 71,909,000
1943 76,200,000
1944 81,840,000
1945 57,000,000
1946 22,726,000
1947 21,266,000
1948 26,947,000
(plus Proof issues for each year)

The Golden Hind was an English galleon best known for its circumnavigation of the globe between 1577 and 1580, captained by Sir Francis Drake. She was originally known as the Pelican, but was renamed by Drake mid-voyage in 1578, as he prepared to enter the Strait of Magellan, calling it the Golden Hind to compliment his patron, Sir Christopher Hatton, whose armorial crest was a golden 'hind' (a female deer). Hatton was one of the principal sponsors of Drake's world voyage.