Halfpenny ( Irish decimal coin ) - wikipedia Halfpenny ( Irish decimal coin ) This article is about the decimal coin. For the pre-decimal coin, see Halfpenny ( Irish pre-decimal coin ). Halfpenny / Leathphingin Ireland Value ​ ⁄ penny Mass 1.78 g Diameter 17.14 mm Thickness approx. 1 mm Edge Plain Composition Bronze Years of minting 1971 -- 1987 Catalog number -- Obverse Design Irish harp Design date 1971 ( first use 1928 ) Reverse Design Ornamental bird Designer Gabriel Hayes Design date 1971 The decimal halfpenny ( ​ ⁄ p ) ( Irish : leathphingin ) coin was the smallest denomination of the Irish pound. It was first issued when the Irish currency was decimalised on Decimal Day, 15 February 1971. It was one of three new designs introduced all in bronze and featuring ornamental birds on the reverse. The coin value was weakened by inflation and very few were produced beyond the initial run for 1971. It was removed from circulation and demonetised on 1 January 1987. The main reason that halfpennies were issued was that when shillings were decimalised they were worth five new pence, so a sixpence ( half of a shilling ) yielded a value of ​ 2 ⁄ new pence. Its dimensions and appearance were the same as the British coin of the same denomination as the pounds of Britain and Ireland were pegged until 1979. The coin was designed by the Irish artist Gabriel Hayes and the design is adapted from the manuscript Cologne Collectio Canonum ( Cologne, Dombibliothek Cod. 213 ) in Cologne. The coin has a diameter of 1.7145 centimetres and mass of 1.782 grams consisting of copper, tin and zinc. The coin was worth ​ ⁄ of an Irish pound. The 1985 version of this coin is particularly rare, and valuable to coin collectors - the vast majority of the 2.8 million were melted in 1987. The 1986 coin was only produced for the 1986 specimen sets and is also rare. See also St Patrick halfpenny External links Irish coinage website - catalogue - decimal halfpenny Coinage ( Dimensions and Designs ) Regulations, 1969 Coinage ( Calling In ) Order, 1986 Irish currency and coinage Topics Irish pound Central Bank Currency Centre Currency Commission Minister for Finance Predecimal coins Farthing Halfpenny Penny Threepence Sixpence Shilling Florin Half crown Ten shillings Barnyard Collection Decimal based coins Halfpenny Penny Two pence Five pence Ten pence Twenty pence Fifty pence Pound Banknotes Series A Series B Series C Ploughman series See also Banknotes of Northern Ireland Coins of Ireland Euro banknotes Irish euro coins Percy Metcalfe Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Halfpenny_(Irish_decimal_coin)&oldid=712372010 '' Categories : Coins of the Republic of Ireland Half - cent coins Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from October 2011 Coin article with no obverse image Articles containing Irish - language text Talk About Wikipedia Bahasa Indonesia Русский Edit links This page was last edited on 28 March 2016, at 18 : 36. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when did the halfpenny go out of circulation in ireland
Answer: 1987