Latest news and updates on British numismatic - Coins, banknotes, tokens
April 21, 2024
2 Pence 1817 to 1848 - Price Guide and values
A short-lived twopence denomination in silver was also produced, with circulation issues in 1817, 1818 and 1820, after which silver twopence coins were issued only as Maundy money.
April 17, 2024
50 Pence 2020 - Withdrawal from the European Union (Brexit Coin)
The Brexit 2020 50 Pence coin features an inscription which reads Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations on the reverse. Unveiled by Chancellor Sajid Javid, it commemorates the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union.
April 12, 2024
Farthing 1821 to 1901 - Price Guide and values
After the mint moved from the Tower of London to Tower Hill the production of gold and silver coins took precedence over copper in the Great Recoinage of 1816. The production of copper coins did not resume until the reign of King George IV (1820-1830), when farthings were produced in 1821.
April 9, 2024
5 Pence 1968 to 2023 - Price Guide and values
The National emblem of Scotland, a thistle royally crowned was the design on the reverse of this denomination before the Royal Arms. The first use of the thistle as a royal symbol of Scotland was on silver coins issued by James III in 1470. After a review of the United Kingdom coinage in 1987, the Government announced its intention to issue a smaller 5p coin.
April 7, 2024
Third Farthing 1827 to 1913 - Price Guide and values
The third farthing was minted in copper in 1827, 1835, and 1844, and in bronze in various years between 1866 and 1913. While exclusively authorised for use in the Crown Colony of Malta, third farthings are catalogued as British coinage because they are fractions of British currency, and Malta otherwise used standard coins of the pound sterling.
April 3, 2024
British Monarchs - 1751 to 1952
Small history of British monarchs: George III, George IV, William IV, Victoria, Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, George VI and Elizabeth II.
March 29, 2024
Third Guinea 1797 to 1813 - Price Guide and values
This gold coins were minted only in the reign of George III. The third guinea (seven shilling piece), a guinea being worth 21 shillings in sterling specie, was introduced in Great Britain by a proclamation of 29 November 1797.
March 25, 2024
Crown 1703 to 1751 - Price Guide and values
By 1751 the popularity of the silver crown had declined and it evidently played a limited role in circulation.
March 21, 2024
SSC British Coinage of 1723 - South Sea Company
Letters SSC can be found on a small quantity of 18th British silver coins in the reverse quarters of the cruciform shields. It is a provenance mark, only added to pieces in 1723, and it refers to the South Sea Company.
March 18, 2024
Shilling 1715 to 1798 - Price Guide and values
The Royal Mint undertook a massive recoinage programme in 1816, with large quantities of gold and silver coin being minted. Previous issues of silver coinage had been irregular. The 1787 issue was not intended for issue to the public, but as Christmas gifts to the Bank of England's customers. New silver coinage was to be of .925 (sterling) standard, with silver coins to be minted at 66 shillings to the troy pound. Hence, newly minted shillings weighed 2/11 troy.
March 13, 2024
3 Shillings 1811 to 1816 - Price Guide and values
3 Shillings were issued by the Bank of England during the Napoleonic Wars, prior to the 1816 British Currency Act. This bank token denomination was one of three issued, two others being the 18 pence and the 9 pence. As these coins were not Crown coinage, they were classed as Bank Tokens and were accepted as money.
March 10, 2024
1 1/2 Pence (Three halfpence) 1834 to 1862 - Price Guide and values
The British three halfpence coin was produced for circulation in the British colonies, mainly in Ceylon and the West Indies in each year between 1834 and 1843, and also in 1860 and 1862. Proof coins were also produced in 1870. The coin is considered to be part of the British coinage because the territories it was struck for otherwise used standard sterling coin and had no independent monetary policy.
March 8, 2024
6 pence 1717 to 1787 - Price Guide and values
The sixpence acquired the friendly nickname tanner although quite how this came about is something of a mystery. Some attribute it to John Sigismund Tanner (1705-75), a former Chief Engraver of The Royal Mint who designed a sixpence during the reign of George II (r. 1727-60), whilst another theory is that the name comes from the Anglo-Romani word taw no meaning small one.
March 5, 2024
Numismatic definitions
Like most fields of expertise, numismatics has its own lingo. Find the numismatic definition of a term
March 3, 2024
3 pence 1717 to 1800 - Price Guide
Struck during the reign of Elizabeth I and then again during the Civil War, minting of the threepence was resumed following the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660. By the early part of the 18th century the coin only really survived as a part of the small annual issues of Maundy Money.
March 2, 2024
2 Pence 1717 to 1800 - Price Guide and values
Because of the rising price of silver the penny became progressively smaller and from the Restoration of Charles II in 1660 it was struck only for use as part of the Royal Maundy. In 1797 to alleviate this coin shortage, the government authorised Matthew Boulton to strike copper pennies and twopences at his Soho Mint in Birmingham.
February 29, 2024
Penny 1718 to 1807 - Price Guide and values
Because of the rising price of silver the penny became progressively smaller and from the Restoration of Charles II in 1660 it was struck only for use as part of the Royal Maundy. In 1797 the penny was struck for the first time as a large copper coin. These cartwheel pennies of 1797 proved popular and continued to circulate, along with later and slightly lighter copper pennies, until 1860.
February 27, 2024
2 Pence 1971 to 2023 - Price Guide and values
Before the Royal Arms, the Badge of the Prince of Wales can be found on 1971 to 2008 two pence coins. It consists of a plume of ostrich feathers within a coronet, and above, the German motto ICH DIEN (I serve). The first copper-plated steel 2p coins were struck in 1992. The reason for this change was the increase in the price of metals on the world markets. The coins have a mild steel core and are electroplated with copper - consequently, they are magnetic.
February 25, 2024
Half Penny 1717 to 1807 - Price Guide and values
From 1672 until 1936 the image of Britannia appeared on the reverse of the half penny. In 1717 a new contract was signed and a Royal Warrant issued for the production of a new halfpenny. The halfpennies struck in 1717 and 1718 looked slightly odd as they were smaller, thicker and somewhat lighter than the previous issues. George III halfpennies were produced with three distinct coins.
February 23, 2024
From the archives: Coins Inscriptions
This alphabetical listing is confined to inscriptions, mainly in the form of mottoes or of a commemorative nature. Names of rulers are, for the most part, excluded. Where the inscription is in a language other than English a translation is given, followed by the name of the issuing country or authority.
February 20, 2024
3 Pence 1834 to 1901 - Price Guide and values
The 3 Pence role changed in 1845, when it began to be issued in large numbers for general circulation. This further attempt to popularise the coin proved successful, no doubt in part because of the large and inconvenient size of the copper coinage.
February 15, 2024
Lima British Early Milled Coins
Some silver and gold coins struck, by William Chetwynd, the Mint Master at the time, between the years 1745 and 1746 bear a LIMA mint mark under the bust.
February 15, 2024
Half Crown 1703 to 1751 - Price Guide and values
By 1751 the popularity of the silver crown had declined and it evidently played a limited role in circulation.
February 11, 2024
From the archives: Farthing History
Little is known of the medieval silver farthing, for few remain. As the smallest denomination, it was rarely hoarded - in fact silver farthings have never been found in large hoards - and since it contained a quarter-penny's worth of silver it was also extremely small, therefore easily lost. Besides, farthings were not produced in anything like the quantities of the penny and halfpenny because, although they were useful to ordinary people, they were not so much used by the wealthy and powerful; and because, for the moneyers, they yielded the least profit of any denomination.
February 10, 2024
Half Crown 1663 to 1701 - Price Guide and values
Like the crown, the half-crown was introduced as a gold coin during the reign of Henry VIII and, also like the crown, under Edward VI in the year 1551 it was issued as a silver coin. The issue of gold half-crowns ceased in the 17th century, but the silver half-crown continued in circulation.
