New Zealand Halfpenny

The New Zealand Halfpenny, weighing a mere 5.67 grams and measuring 25.4 millimeters across, was the smallest coin in the pre-decimal era, often vanishing into pockets or purses like a magician's trick.

It entered circulation in 1940, struck at the Royal Mint in London from a bronze alloy of 95% copper, 4% tin, and 1% zinc. The obverse bore the portrait of the reigning monarch, starting with George VI, while the reverse showed a stylized Maori warrior, a design that quietly acknowledged New Zealand's indigenous heritage without the usual fanfare. Production continued until 1965, when decimalization swept it away.

Mintage figures vary by year, but records from the later 1950s are spotty; some were likely destroyed in wartime storage mishaps. I handled plenty of these over the years, and they hold up well despite their size. A coin that small, and you wonder how anyone noticed it was gone.