1/2 Crown - George VI

The shift to copper-nickel in 1947 was a direct consequence of postwar silver shortages and British Treasury pressure on its dependent territories to abandon silver coinage entirely. Southern Rhodesia had been striking its half crowns in .925 silver since 1932; the 1947 issues mark an abrupt compositional break, mirroring identical transitions happening simultaneously across the broader sterling zone. The new alloy struck harder and wore differently, and early cupro-nickel issues from several territories showed adjustment problems as mints recalibrated dies for the change in metal flow.