#half-penny

[archaeologicalnews]

Eighteenth century artifacts found during Camp Security dig

Volunteers found several artifacts from the 18th century — including buttons, a British half-penny with a bust of King George II on it and a musket ball — during the second day of an archaeological dig in Springettsbury Township to find evidence of a Revolutionary War prison camp.

"Today we hit pay dirt," archaeologist Steve Warfel said.

The first 18th century find came in the morning when volunteers found a button, which is made of a metal called tombac, an alloy of zinc and copper, Warfel said. These kinds of buttons are commonly seen on sites that date to the middle of the 18th century and also during the Revolutionary period. Read more.

[grafb]

                               Ireland Half-Penny 1939

[grafb]

Ireland Half-Penny 1939

[catafalques]

Half-penny surgically removed from child, United Kingdom, 1914-1930

Two hours after swallowing this coin, a three and a half-year-old boy was taken to hospital. X-rays showed the coin to be in his throat, but attempts to remove it using a bronchoscope merely pushed it into the stomach. The coin was eventually removed 27 days later by surgeon Sir Cecil P G Wakeley (1892-1979). It is one of a number of ‘surgically removed objects’ which have been donated to the Wellcome collections.