Hey folks, it’s your buddy back again with another interesting dive into the past! Today, I was thinking about old money, specifically the British half crown. You know, those coins they used to use before everything went decimal? Well, I got curious about how much a half crown was actually worth, especially back in the day, like in the 1800s. So, I decided to do some digging, and here’s what I found out.

First, I started by hitting up the internet, like I always do. I typed in “how much was half a crown” and got a bunch of results. I started clicking through them, reading articles, and trying to piece things together.
Here’s what I learned:
- A half crown was basically 1/8 of a pound.
- It was also equal to two shillings and six pence.
- People called it “two and six” for short.
I found out that back in 1843, the year Charles Dickens wrote “A Christmas Carol,” they made a ton of these half crown coins at the Tower Mint in London. Each coin had a picture of a young Queen Victoria on it. Pretty cool, right?
Now, trying to figure out the value in today’s money was a bit trickier. Some sources said it was around 60 cents in US money at the time, while others said it could be around $1.39 today if you consider inflation and all that. It seems like there’s no exact answer, but it gives you a rough idea.
I kept looking for more info, reading about how the half crown was first made during the reign of Edward VI. I also found some websites that showed the current values of half crowns by year and type. It was interesting to see how much these old coins could be worth to collectors now.

So, after all this digging, I got a better understanding of what a half crown was and its value. It’s not just about the money; it’s about the history behind it. Thinking about all the people who used these coins back in the day, what they bought with them, and how the value has changed over time is just fascinating to me.
I hope you found this little journey into the past as interesting as I did. It’s always fun to learn about these little pieces of history and share them with you all. Until next time, keep exploring and keep learning!