With World War II in full force, metals being diverted to the war effort and an increase in spending due with foreign troops stationed in Australia, Australia sought the help of foreign mints to produce its circulating currency. Pennies and half pennies were, while produced at the Perth and Melbourne mints, also produced at the Bombay mint in India with 6 million half pennies being struck there in 1943. The Bombay mint 1943 half penny can be identified by a number of features. A dot mintmark before and after HALF PENNY on the reverse. Thicker reverse rim beading and an I mintmark underneath the bust of King George VI on the obverse.
The date is one of the easier in the series with onemint rollsurfacing offering pieces with fullmint brillianceto the marketplace. The coin has an added demand from type set collectors due to its sharp strike and heavyrim beadingproviding a better representation piece for the series, especially when compared to the typically weak Perth mintstrikes.