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1882 British Half Crown Varieties

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From 1874 to 1887, there were relatively few changes to the British half crown obverse and reverse designs - just three different obverses and two different reverses. By the early 1880s, obverse 5 and reverse D became the only die pairing, until the introduction of the new Jubilee designs in 1887.

Davies' initial study of 1882 half crowns only found the die pairing of 5+D (p50, Davies, British Silver Coins Since 1816, 1982), but he later confirmed that 5+C 1882 half crowns were also struck. It is unknown in what proportions they occur, but the 5+C is obviously much scarcer: reverse C is last thought to have been used in 1880, when it was used less, though not considerably so, than reverse D.