From 1878 to 1960, Cyprus was administered by the United Kingdom, first under Ottoman sovereignty and then as a Crown colony from 1925. Its currency kept the piastre inherited from the Ottoman Empire: 9 piastres were worth one shilling and 180 one Cyprus pound. This small ½ piastre coin, with a scalloped edge of 12 lobes, bears the crowned head of George VI by Percy Metcalfe, signed PM below the neck. During the Second World War, nickel was reserved for the war effort: from 1942 to 1945, the ½ piastre was struck in bronze instead of cupronickel. In 1943, the Royal Mint struck 1,620,000 pieces. The piastre disappeared in 1955, when Cyprus adopted the decimal system in mils.
1983Cyprus ½ cent 1983 - Cyprus Cyclamen
1983Cyprus 1 cent 1983 - Stylised Bird
1983Cyprus 2 cents 1983 - Confronted Goats
1983Cyprus 5 cents 1983 - Bull's Head
1983Cyprus 10 cents 1983 - Phini Vase
1983Cyprus 20 cents 1983 - Cyprus Wheatear
1981Cyprus 5 mils 1981 - Ancient Galley
1963Cyprus 100 mils 1963 - Cyprus Mouflon
1963Cyprus 1 mil 1963 - Wreath of wheat ears
1963Cyprus 25 mils 1963 - Cyprus cedar
1963Cyprus 50 mils 1963 - Bunch of grapes
1963Cyprus 5 mils 1963 - Ancient galley
1955Cyprus 25 mils 1955 - Bull's head
1955Cyprus 50 mils 1955 - Fern leaves
1955Cyprus 100 mils 1955 - Ancient galley
1955Cyprus 5 mils 1955 - Copper ingot bearer
1955Cyprus 3 mils 1955 - Flying fish
1943Cyprus ½ piastre 1943 - George VI
