Published at 11th Apr 2018

Modified at 5th Nov 2023

History of Britain (UK) coinage

The coinage produced by the Royal Mint for the citizens United Kingdom is a significant way for them to appreciate the history of their country. Coins are precious past artefacts that can enlighten the technology, arts, economics, religion, politics, and rites of the people. How state can select number of sailors on voyages to characterize their nation?

In fact, this is by means of its coinage together with the values it celebrates. Coins have subsisted as one of the most extensively used manners for which a monarch or state has corresponded with individuals from the most primitive times until now. The emblematic significance of coins has not been lost for those people who implement power.

The Museum of Royal Mint has a set of unrivalled British coins. It sheds radiance not just only on the issued coins but also, through an exclusive collection and based on how coins have been produced and designed, as well. Moreover, collecting coins has represented constantly in the way of saving the history of the human kind.

It also allows an individual to keep and protect their state’s history. Through such kind of action, coin collectors allocate other individual to handle and inspect the various kinds of coins that earliest people used. In the United Kingdom, coins are measured one of the most valuable historical object that the nation has ever formed because most of their coins are believed to be a right illustration of the sovereigns.

For example, coin collectors would be glad to have the 50 cents coins that were generated by the Royal Mint for the Golden Festivity of Queen Elizabeth II. Meanwhile, coin collecting in United Kingdom employs various terms in classifying the sorts of coins that are collected. For specific illustration, UK coins that were spread from 1971 until 1981 and the phrase “new pence” was utilized to distinguish them and referred as “Ancient Pre-Decimal Pennies”.

In the year 1982, professionals felt the demand to modify the term “new” into solid feature that would indicate the worth of the coin, as well. Therefore, the words such as “thirty” and “two” were utilized as well as, other terms that would designate the value of the coins. After one year, the “2 pence” coins were so ordinary that the coin collectors had a demand for them.

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With the UK history, their coin collecting has a lot of experience. The initial transformation was the decimal system of the coins. With the adaptation of the decimal system, this system was established strong relationships that specify the recent worth of the ancient coins. The best example is that the coin that used to be branded as 2 1/2 pence is now changed into 1 penny.

Thus, UK coin collecting is undeniably not just intelligible thought of a hobby but a tangible depiction of what was recorded in UK history.

UK’s Ancient Ancient Great Britain Coins:

England, (Edward I, 1272 - 1307 A.D.) In the Reign of Henry III

Coin Description:

Weight: 1.471 g,

Thickness: 19.2 mm

Issued Year: 1272 A.D

Mint: Ioh, Bury St. Edmunds

Overse: ENRICVS REX III, with crowned bust facing and sceptres in the right angle

Reverse: IOH ON SEINTED with a long cross and 3 pellet in each angle

England, Charles I, 1625 - 1649

Coin Description:

Weight 4.910 g,

Thickness: 29.2 mm

Issued Year: 1639-1640

Mint: Tower mint

Obverse: CAROLVS D G MAG BRI FRA ET HIB REX D with a crowned the left bust

Reverse: CHRISTO • AVSPICE • REGNO • D with coat of arms

England, Edward I, 1272 - 1307 A.D., In the Name of Henry III

Coin Description:

Weight: 1.350 g

Thickness: 19.1 mm

Mint: Ioh, Bury St. Edmunds

Issued Year: 1272 AD

Obverse: HENRICVS REX III with a crowned and sceptres facing on the right side

Reverse: IOH ON SEINTED with a long cross and 3 pellet in every angle

England, Edward I, 1272 - 1307 A.D., In the name of Henry III

Weight: 1.452 g,

Thickness: 18.6 mm

Mint: Ioh, Bury St. Edmunds

Issued Year: 1272 AD

Obverse: HENRICVS REX II with crowned bust and sceptres in the right;

Reverse: IOH ON SEINTED with long cross and 3 pellets in every angle;

Pre-Decimal British Coins

In 1816, a lot change in the British coinage took place which, has consisted of three principal grounds: the Industrial Revolution that brought new system of coinage, the wealth of the British Empire and the skill of the engravers. These three factors have been merged to explain why United Kingdom had the most precious coins in the world until the middle of the 20th century.

The UK Farthing

Coin Information:

The farthing presented from 1672 until 1956, but in the year 1860, it was developed out of bronze with the new format until it was disappeared in 1956.

Coin Specification:

Weight: 2.8 g

Diameter: 20.0 mm

The Half-Penny

Coin Information:

The half-penny was similar to one 24th of shilling. It was existed from the year 1672 until 1967, but compare with farthing coin; it only adopts from 1860 until 1967. Meanwhile, it was substituted by the latest half-penny in the year 1971.

Coin Specification:

Weight: 5.7 g

Diameter: 25.0 mm

The UK penny

Coin Information:

The penny was considered as the twelfth element of one shilling. It always approved on the reverse due to its well-known Britannia. The penny is the extension of a Denarius and Roman coin. Its origin is old, but it is only under the reign of George III. This coin is developed out of bronze, and its design gradually compacted until the standard format came which remained consistent from 1860 until 1967.

Coin Specification:

Weight: 9.4 g

Diameter: 31.0 mm

The Three Pence

Coin Information:

This coin was existed in the year 1551 and was struck in 1944. Other coins in the form of three pence out was made up of dodecagonal and brass structure and was occurred during 1937 until 1967.

Coin Specification:

Weight: 1. 4 g

Diameter: 16.0 mm


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