Coins of the pound sterling
The standard circulating
British coins are minted by the Royal Mint in Llantrisant, Wales. The Royal Mint also commissions the coins' designs.
In addition to the circulating coinage, the UK also mints commemorative decimal coins (
Currently circulating coinage
The current decimal coins consist of:
- one penny and two pence in copper-platedsteel
- five pence and ten pence in nickel-plated steel
- equilateral curve heptagonal twenty pence and fifty pence in cupronickel
- bimetallic one pound and two pounds.
All circulating coins have an effigy of one of two monarchs on the obverse; various national, regional and commemorative designs on the reverse; and the denomination in numbers or words.
- Elizabeth II
- The obverse carries an abbreviated Defender of the Faith". The denomination is usually on the reverse.
- Charles III
- The obverse carries an abbreviated, anglicised Defender of the Faith". The denomination may be on either side.[1]
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse | Diameter | Thickness | Mass | Composition | Edge | Introduced |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
One penny | Queen Elizabeth II | Crowned portcullis with chains (1971–2008) Segment of the Royal Arms (2008–present)
|
20.3 mm | 1.52 mm | 3.56 g | Bronze (97% copper, 2.5% zinc, 0.5% tin) | Smooth | 1971 |
1.65 mm | Copper-plated steel | 1992 | ||||||
Two pence | Plume of ostrich feathers within a coronet (1971–2008) Segment of the Royal Arms (2008–present) |
25.9 mm | 1.85 mm | 7.12 g | Bronze | 1971 | ||
2.03 mm | Copper-plated steel | 1992 | ||||||
Five pence[a]
|
Queen Elizabeth II | Crowned thistle (1968–2008) Segment of the Royal Arms (2008–present) |
18 mm | 1.7 mm | 3.25 g | Cupronickel (3:1) | Milled | 1990 |
1.89 mm | Nickel-plated steel | 2012 | ||||||
Ten pence[a]
|
Crowned lion (1968–2008) Segment of the Royal Arms (2008–present) |
24.5 mm | 1.85 mm | 6.5 g | Cupronickel (3:1) | 1992 | ||
2.05 mm | Nickel-plated steel | 2012 | ||||||
Twenty pence
|
Crowned Tudor Rose | 21.4 mm | 1.7 mm | 5 g | Cupronickel (5:1) | Smooth, Reuleaux heptagon | 1982 | |
Segment of the Royal Arms | 2008 | |||||||
Fifty pence[a]
|
Britannia and lion | 27.3 mm | 1.78 mm | 8 g | Cupronickel (3:1) | Smooth, Reuleaux heptagon | 1997 | |
Various commemorative designs | 1998 | |||||||
Segment of the Royal Arms | 2008 | |||||||
King Charles III | 1953 Queen's coronation commemoration | December 2022[2] | ||||||
One pound
|
Queen Elizabeth II | Rose, leek, thistle, and shamrock encircled by a coronet | 23.03–23.43 mm | 2.8 mm | 8.75 g | Inner: Nickel-plated alloy Outer: Nickel-brass |
Alternately milled and plain (12-sided) | 28 March 2017[3] |
Two pounds[b]
|
Abstract concentric design representing technological development | 28.4 mm | 2.5 mm | 12 g | Inner: Cupronickel Outer: Nickel-brass |
Milled with variable inscription and/or decoration | 1997 (issued 1998) | |
Various commemorative designs | 1999 | |||||||
Britannia | 2015 |
- ^ a b c The specifications and dates of introduction of the 5p, 10p, and 50p coins refer to the current versions. These coins were originally issued in larger sizes in 1968 and 1969 respectively.
- ^ This coin was originally issued in a smaller size in a single metal in 1986 for special issues only. It was redesigned as a bi-metallic issue for general circulation in 1997.
Production and distribution
All genuine UK coins are produced by the Royal Mint. The same coinage is used across the United Kingdom: unlike banknotes, local issues of coins are not produced for different parts of the UK. The pound coin until 2016 was produced in regional designs, but these circulate equally in all parts of the UK (see UK designs, below).
Every year, newly minted coins are checked for size, weight, and composition at a Trial of the Pyx. Essentially the same procedure has been used since the 13th century. Assaying is now done by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths on behalf of HM Treasury.
The 1p and 2p coins from 1971 are the oldest standard-issue coins still in circulation. Pre-decimal crowns are the oldest coins in general that are still legal tender, although they are in practice never encountered in general circulation.[4]
Coins from the British dependencies and territories that use sterling as their currency are sometimes found in change in other jurisdictions. Strictly, they are not legal tender in the United Kingdom; however, since they have the same specifications as UK coins, they are sometimes tolerated in commerce, and can readily be used in vending machines.
UK-issued coins are, on the other hand, generally fully accepted and freely mixed in other British dependencies and territories that use the pound.
An extensive coinage redesign was commissioned by the Royal Mint in 2005, and new designs were gradually introduced into the circulating British coinage from summer 2008. Except for the £1 coin, the pre-2008 coins remain legal tender and are expected to stay in circulation for the foreseeable future.
The estimated volume in circulation as at March 2016 is:[5]
Denomination | Number of pieces (millions) |
Face value (£m) |
---|---|---|
Two pounds
|
479 | 957.036 |
One pound
|
1,671 | 1,671.328 |
Fifty pence
|
1,053 | 526.153 |
Twenty-five pence | 81 | 20 |
Twenty pence
|
3,004 | 600.828 |
Ten pence
|
1,713 | 171.312 |
Five pence
|
4,075 | 203.764 |
Two pence | 6,714 | 134.273 |
One penny | 11,430 | 114.299 |
Total | 30,139 | 4,643.658 |
History of pre-decimal coinage
Because of trade links with Charlemagne's Frankish Empire, the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms copied the Frankish currency system of 12 deniers ("d", pennies) to the sou (shilling) and 240 deniers or 20 sous to the libra ("£", pound), the origin of the name of the current British currency. It referred to the literal weight of 240 penny coins, which at 30 grains each, weighed 1 tower pound of sterling (0.925 fine) silver. At this point and for centuries, pennies were the only coins struck; shillings and pounds were only units of account.[6]
The penny before 1500
The English silver penny first appeared in the 8th century CE in adoption of Western Europe's
From the time of
The weight of a silver penny stayed constant at above 22 grains until 1344; afterwards its weight was reduced to 18 grains in 1351, to 15 grains in 1412, to 12 grains in 1464, and to 101⁄2 grains in 1527.
The history of the Royal Mint stretches back to AD 886.[7] For many centuries production was in London, initially at the Tower of London, and then at premises nearby in Tower Hill in what is today known as Royal Mint Court. In the 1970s production was transferred to Llantrisant in South Wales.[8] Historically Scotland and England had separate coinage; the last Scottish coins were struck in 1709 shortly after union with England.[9]
The penny after 1500
During the reign of Henry VIII, the silver content was gradually debased, reaching a low of one-third silver. However, in Edward VI's reign in 1551, this debased coinage was discontinued in favor of a return to sterling silver with the penny weighing 8 grains. The first crowns and half-crowns were produced that year. From this point onwards till 1920, sterling was the rule.
Coins were originally
By 1601 it was decreed that one
As a result of a report written by Newton on 21 September 1717 to the
The coinage reform of 1816 set up a weight/value ratio and physical sizes for silver coins. Each troy ounce of sterling silver was henceforth minted into 66 pence or 51⁄2 shillings.
In 1920, the silver content of all British coins was reduced from 92.5% to 50%, with some of the remainder consisting of
The 1816 weight/value ratio and size system survived the debasement of silver in 1920, and the adoption of token coins of cupronickel in 1947. It even persisted after decimalisation for those coins which had equivalents and continued to be minted with their values in new pence. The UK finally abandoned it in 1992 when smaller, more convenient, "silver" coins were introduced.
History of decimal coinage
Decimalisation
Since decimalisation on 15 February 1971 the pound (symbol "£") has been divided into 100 pence. (Prior to decimalisation the pound was divided into 20 shillings, each of 12 [old] pence; thus, there were 240 [old] pence to the pound.) The pound remained as Britain's currency unit after decimalisation (unlike in many other British commonwealth countries, which dropped the pound upon decimalisation by introducing dollars or new units worth 10 shillings or 1⁄2 pound). The following coins were introduced with these reverse designs:
- Half penny, 1971–1984: A crown, symbolising the monarch.
- One penny, 1971–2007: A crowned portcullis with chains (the badge of the Houses of Parliament).
- Two pence, 1971–2007: The Prince of Wales's feathers: a plume of ostrich feathers within a coronet.
- Five pence, 1968–2007: The Badge of Scotland, a thistleroyally crowned.
- Ten pence, 1968–2007: The lion of England royally crowned.
- Fifty pence, 1969–2007: Britannia and lion.
The first decimal coins – the
The new coins were initially marked with the wording NEW PENNY (singular) or NEW PENCE (plural). The word "new" was dropped in 1982. The symbol "p" was adopted to distinguish the new pennies from the old, which used the symbol "d" (from the Latin denarius, a coin used in the Roman Empire).
Updates 1982–1998
In the years since decimalisation, a number of changes have been made to the coinage; these new denominations were introduced with the following designs:
- incusedesign and lettering).
- One pound, 1983–2016: various designs; see One pound (British coin).
- Two pounds, 1997–2014: An abstract design of concentric circles, representing technological development from the Iron Ageto the modern-day electronic age.
Additionally:
- The halfpenny was discontinued in 1984.
- The composition of the 1p and 2p was changed in 1992 from bronze to copper-plated steel without changing the design.
- The sizes of the 5p, 10p and 50p coins were reduced in 1990, 1992 and 1997, respectively, also without changing the design.
The
The decimal halfpenny coin was
In the 1990s, the Royal Mint reduced the sizes of the 5p, 10p, and 50p coins. As a consequence, the oldest 5p coins in circulation date from 1990, the oldest 10p coins from 1992 and the oldest 50p coins come from 1997. Since 1997, many special commemorative designs of 50p have been issued. Some of these are found fairly frequently in circulation and some are rare. They are all legal tender.
In 1992 the composition of the 1p and 2p coins was changed from bronze to copper-plated steel. Due to their high copper content (97%), the intrinsic value of pre-1992 1p and 2p coins increased with the surge in metal prices of the mid-2000s, until by 2006 the coins would, if melted down, have been worth about 50% more than their face value.[16]
A circulating
There are also commemorative issues of
Obverse designs
All modern British coins feature a profile of the current monarch's head on the obverse. Until 2022, there had been only one monarch since decimalisation,
Most current coins carry a
2008 redesign
In 2008, UK coins underwent an extensive redesign which eventually changed the reverse designs of all coins, the first wholesale change to British coinage since the first decimal coins were introduced in April 1968.
- The 1p coin depicts the lower part of the first quarter and the upper part of the third quarter of the shield, showing the lions passant of England and the harp of Ireland respectively
- The 2p coin depicts most of the second quarter of the shield, showing the lion rampant of Scotland
- The 5p coin depicts the centre of the shield, showing the meeting and parts of the constituent parts of the shield
- The 10p coin depicts most of the first quarter of the shield, containing the three lions passant of England
- The 20p coin depicts the lower part of the second quarter and upper part of the fourth quarter, showing the lion rampant of Scotland and the lions passant of England respectively
- The 50p coin depicts the point of the shield and the bottom portions of the second and third quarters showing the harp of Ireland and lions passant of England respectively
- The round, nickel-brass £1 coin from 2008 to 2016 depicted the whole of the Royal Shield. From 2017 it was changed to a bimetallic 12-sided coin depicting a rose, leek, thistle and shamrock bound by a crown.
- The £2 coin from 2015 depicts Britannia.
The original intention was to exclude both the £1 and £2 coins from the redesign because they were "relatively new additions" to the coinage, but it was later decided to include a £1 coin with a complete Royal Shield design from 2008 to 2016,[21] and the 2015 redesign of the £2 coin occurred due to complaints over the disappearance of Britannia's image from the 50p coin in 2008.[22]
On all coins, the beading (ring of small dots) around the edge of the obverses has been removed. The obverse of the 20p coin has also been amended to incorporate the year, which had been on the reverse of the coin since its introduction in 1982 (giving rise to an unusual issue of a
The redesign was the result of a competition launched by the Royal Mint in August 2005, which closed on 14 November 2005. The competition was open to the public and received over 4,000 entries.
The redesign was criticised by some for having no specifically Welsh symbol (such as the
The Royal Mint's choice of an inexperienced coin designer to produce the new coinage was criticised by Virginia Ironside, daughter of Christopher Ironside who designed the previous UK coins. She stated that the new designs were "totally unworkable as actual coins", due to the loss of a numerical currency identifier, and the smaller typeface used.[25]
The German news magazine Der Spiegel claimed that the redesign signalled the UK's intention "not to join the euro any time soon".[26]
Changes after 2008
As of 2012, 5p and 10p coins have been issued in nickel-plated steel, and much of the remaining cupronickel types withdrawn, in order to retrieve more expensive metals. The new coins are 11% thicker to maintain the same weight.[27][28] There are heightened nickel allergy concerns over the new coins. Studies commissioned by the Royal Mint found no increased discharge of nickel from the coins when immersed in artificial sweat. However, an independent study found that the friction from handling results in four times as much nickel exposure as from the older-style coins. Sweden already plans to desist from using nickel in coins from 2015.[29]
In 2016, the £1 coin's composition was changed from a single-metal round shape to a 12-sided bi-metal design, with a slightly larger diameter, and with multiple past designs discontinued in favor of a single, unchanging design. Production of the new coins started in 2016,[30] with the first, dated 2016, entering circulation 28 March 2017.[31]
In February 2015, the Royal Mint announced a new design for the £2 coin featuring Britannia by Antony Dufort, with no change to its bimetallic composition.[32]
Edge inscriptions on British coins used to be commonly encountered on round £1 coins of 1983–2016, but are nowadays found only on £2 coins. The standard-issue
2023 redesign
In October 2023 the Royal Mint announced new designs for the circulating coinage, which were to be released by the end of the year.
- 1p depicts the hazel dormouse.
- 2p depicts the red squirrel.
- 5p depicts English oak tree leaves and acorns.
- 10p depicts a western capercaillie.
- 20p depicts an Atlantic puffin.
- 50p depicts an Atlantic salmon.
- £1 depicts two bees.
- £2 depicts the four heraldic flowers of the United Kingdom: daffodil and shamrock, with the edge inscription IN SERVITIO OMNIUM, Latin for “In the service of all”, taken from the King's inaugural address on 9 September 2022.
Obsolete denominations
The following decimal coins have been withdrawn from circulation and have ceased to be legal tender.
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse | Diameter | Thickness | Mass | Composition | Edge | Introduced | Withdrawn |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Half Penny
|
Queen Elizabeth II
|
St Edward's Crown | 17.4 mm | 1 mm | 1.78 g | Bronze | Smooth | 1971 | 1984 |
Five pence *
|
Queen Elizabeth II
|
Crowned Thistle | 23.59 mm | 1.7 mm | 5.65 g | Cupronickel | Milled | 1968 | 1990 |
Ten pence *
|
Crowned Lion | 28.5 mm | 1.85 mm | 11.31 g | 1992 | ||||
Fifty pence *
|
Seated Britannia alongside a Lion | 30.0 mm | 2.5 mm | 13.5 g | Smooth, Reuleaux heptagon | 1969 | 1997 | ||
Various commemorative designs | 1973 | ||||||||
One Pound †
|
Queen Elizabeth II
|
Numerous different designs | 22.5 mm | 3.15 mm | 9.5 g | Nickel-brass | Milled with variable inscription and/or decoration | 1983 | 15 October 2017 |
Royal Shield | 2008 | ||||||||
Two pounds
|
No standard reverse design | 28.4 mm | ~3 mm | 15.98 g | Nickel-brass | 1986 | 1998 |
* The specifications and dates of 5p, 10p, and 50p coins refer to the larger sizes issued since 1968.
† The specification refers to the round coin issued from 1983 to 2016. Although obsolete, this coin is still redeemable at banks and the British railway systems.
Commemorative issues
Circulating commemorative designs
Circulating
Three commemorative designs were issued of the large version of the 50p: in 1973 (the
Prior to 1997, the two pound coin was minted in commemorative issues only – in 1986, 1989, 1994, 1995 and 1996. Commemorative £2 coins have been regularly issued since 1999, alongside the standard-issue bi-metallic coins which were introduced in 1997. One or two designs have been minted each year, with the exception of none in 2000, and four regional 2002 issues marking the
From 2018 to 2019 a series of 10p coins with 26 different designs was put in circulation "celebrating Great Britain with The Royal Mint's Quintessentially British A to Z series of coins".[35]
Non-circulating denominations
Coins are sometimes issued as special collectible commemorative versions, sold at a value higher than their face value. They are usually legal tender, but worth only their face value to pay debts. For example, in 2023 a 50 pence piece was announced, the first coin depicting
The following are special-issue commemorative coins, seldom encountered in normal circulation due to their precious metal content or collectible value, but are still considered legal tender.
- Twenty-five pence or crown (25p; £0.25), 1972–1981
- Five pounds or crown (£5), 1990–present [1]
- Twenty pounds (£20), 2013–present
- Fifty pounds (£50), 2015–2016
- One hundred pounds (£100), 2015–2016
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse | Diameter | Thickness | Mass | Composition | Edge | Introduced |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
25 pence | Queen Elizabeth II
|
No standard reverse design | 38.61 mm | 2.89 mm | 28.28 g | Cupronickel or silver | Milled, with variable inscription | 1972 |
5 pounds
|
1990 | |||||||
20 pounds | 27.0 mm | Unknown | 15.71 g | Silver | Milled | 2013 | ||
50 pounds | Britannia | 34.0 mm | 31 g | 2015 | ||||
100 pounds | Elizabeth Tower 'Big Ben' | 40.0 mm | 62.86 g |
Legal tender status of commemorative coins
The prolific issuance since 2013 of silver commemorative £20, £50 and £100 coins at face value has led to attempts to spend or deposit these coins, prompting the Royal Mint to clarify the legal tender status of these silver coins as well as the cupronickel £5 coin.[37][38][39] Legal tender has a very narrow legal meaning, related to paying into a court to satisfy a debt, and nobody is obliged to accept any particular form of payment (whether legal tender or not), including commemorative coins. Royal Mint guidelines advise that, although these coins were approved as legal tender, they are considered limited edition collectables not intended for general circulation.
Maundy money
Maundy coins still bear the original portrait of the Queen as used in the circulating coins of the first years of her reign.
Bullion coinage
The traditional bullion coin issued by Britain is the
Between 1987 and 2012 a series of bullion coins, the
Since 2013
Between 1997 and 2012 silver bullion coins have also been produced under the name "Britannias". The alloy used was
In 2016
one for each beast available in both gold and silver.The Royal Mint also issues silver, gold and platinum proof sets of the circulating coins, as well as gift products such as gold coins set into jewellery.
Non-UK coinage
Outside the United Kingdom, the British
The pound sterling is also the official currency of the
The currencies of the
The other British overseas territories do not use sterling as their official currency.
Pre-decimal coinage
System
Before decimalisation in 1971, the pound was divided into 240 pence rather than 100, though it was rarely expressed in this way. Rather it was expressed in terms of pounds,
- £1 = 20 shillings (20s).
- 1 shilling = 12 pence (12d).
Thus: £1 = 240d. The penny was further subdivided at various times, though these divisions vanished as inflation made them irrelevant:
- 1 penny = 2 halfpennies and (earlier) 4 farthings (quarter farthingcoins were minted in the late 19th century, and into the early 20th century in the case of the third farthing, but circulated only in certain British colonies and not in the UK).
Using the example of five shillings and sixpence, the standard ways of writing shillings and pence were:
- 5s 6d
- 5/6
- 5/- for 5 shillings only, with the dash to stand for zero pennies.
The sum of 5/6 would be spoken as "five shillings and sixpence" or "five and six".
The abbreviation for the old penny, d, was derived from the Roman
A similar pre-decimal system operated in France, also based on the Roman currency, consisting of the livre (L), sol or sou (s) and denier (d). Until 1816 another similar system was used in the Netherlands, consisting of the gulden (G), stuiver (s; 1⁄20 G) and duit, (d; 1⁄8 s or 1⁄160 G).
Denominations
In the years just prior to decimalisation, the circulating British coins were:
Denomination | Obverse | Reverse | Diameter | Thickness | Mass | Composition | Edge | Introduced | Withdrawn |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Farthing (1⁄4d) | Various Monarchs | Wren (Britannia on early mintages) | 20.19 mm | 2.83 g | Bronze | Smooth | 1860 | 1961 | |
Half penny (1⁄2d) | Golden Hind (Britannia on early mintages) | 25.48 mm | 5.67 g | 1969 | |||||
Penny (1d)
|
Britannia | 31 mm | 9.45 g | 1971 | |||||
Threepence (3d) | Queen Elizabeth II 1953–1971
|
Thrift until 1952 Crowned portcullis with chains | 21.0–21.8 mm | 2.5 mm | 6.8 g | Nickel-brass | Plain (12-sided) | 1937 | 1971 |
Sixpence (6d)
|
Queen Elizabeth II 1953–1971
|
Crowned royal cypher until 1952 Floral design – Four Home Nations | 19.41 mm | 2.83 g | Cupronickel | Milled | 1947 | 1980 | |
Shilling (1/-) | Crowned lion on Tudor crown or Crowned lion standing on Scottish crown until 1952 or Scotland
|
23.60 mm | 1.7 mm | 5.66 g | 1990 | ||||
Florin (2/-) | Crowned rose flanked by a thistle and shamrock until 1952 Rose encircled by thistle, leek and shamrock | 28.5 mm | 1.85 mm | 11.31 g | 1992 | ||||
Half crown (2/6) | Royal Shield flanked by crowned royal cypher until 1952 Crowned Royal Shield
|
32.31 mm | 14.14 g | 1969 | |||||
Crown (5/-) | Various commemorative designs | 38 mm | 2.89 mm | 28.28 g | 1951 | Present |
The farthing (1⁄4d) had been demonetised on 1 January 1961, whilst the crown (5/-) was issued periodically as a commemorative coin but rarely found in circulation.
The crown, half crown, florin, shilling, and sixpence were cupronickel coins (in historical times silver or silver alloy); the penny, halfpenny, and farthing were bronze; and the threepence was a twelve-sided nickel-brass coin (historically it was a small silver coin).
Some of the pre-decimalisation coins with exact decimal equivalent values continued in use after 1971 alongside the new coins, albeit with new names (the shilling became equivalent to the 5p coin, with the florin equating to 10p), and the others were withdrawn almost immediately. The use of florins and shillings as legal tender in this way ended in 1991 and 1993 when the 5p and 10p coins were replaced with smaller versions. Indeed, while pre-decimalisation shillings were used as 5p coins, for a while after decimalisation many people continued to call the new 5p coin a shilling, since it remained 1⁄20 of a pound, but was now counted as 5p (five new pence) instead of 12d (twelve old pennies). The pre-decimalisation sixpence, also known as a sixpenny bit or sixpenny piece, was equivalent to 2+1⁄2p, but was demonetised in 1980.
Five pounds | 1 | 2+1⁄2 | 5 | 20 | 40 | 50 | 100 | 200 | 300 | 400 | 1200 | 2400 | 4800 | 9600 | 14400 | 19200 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Double sovereign | 2⁄5 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 16 | 20 | 40 | 80 | 120 | 160 | 480 | 960 | 1920 | 3840 | 5760 | 7680 |
Sovereign | 1⁄5 | 1⁄2 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 40 | 60 | 80 | 240 | 480 | 960 | 1920 | 2880 | 3840 |
Crown | 1⁄20 | 1⁄8 | 1⁄4 | 1 | 2 | 2+1⁄2 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 60 | 120 | 240 | 480 | 720 | 960 |
Half crown | 1⁄40 | 1⁄16 | 1⁄8 | 1⁄2 | 1 | 1+1⁄4 | 2+1⁄2 | 5 | 7+1⁄2 | 10 | 30 | 60 | 120 | 240 | 360 | 480 |
Florin | 1⁄50 | 1⁄20 | 1⁄10 | 2⁄5 | 4⁄5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 24 | 48 | 96 | 192 | 288 | 384 |
Shilling | 1⁄100 | 1⁄40 | 1⁄20 | 1⁄5 | 2⁄5 | 1⁄2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 24 | 48 | 96 | 144 | 192 |
Sixpence | 1⁄200 | 1⁄80 | 1⁄40 | 1⁄10 | 1⁄5 | 1⁄4 | 1⁄2 | 1 | 1+1⁄2 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 24 | 48 | 72 | 96 |
Groat | 1⁄300 | 1⁄120 | 1⁄60 | 1⁄15 | 2⁄15 | 1⁄6 | 1⁄3 | 2⁄3 | 1 | 1+1⁄3 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 32 | 48 | 64 |
Threepence | 1⁄400 | 1⁄160 | 1⁄80 | 1⁄20 | 1⁄10 | 1⁄8 | 1⁄4 | 1⁄2 | 3⁄4 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 12 | 24 | 36 | 48 |
Penny | 1⁄1200 | 1⁄480 | 1⁄240 | 1⁄60 | 1⁄30 | 1⁄24 | 1⁄12 | 1⁄6 | 1⁄4 | 1⁄3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 |
Halfpenny | 1⁄2400 | 1⁄960 | 1⁄480 | 1⁄120 | 1⁄60 | 1⁄48 | 1⁄24 | 1⁄12 | 1⁄8 | 1⁄6 | 1⁄2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
Farthing | 1⁄4800 | 1⁄1920 | 1⁄960 | 1⁄240 | 1⁄120 | 1⁄96 | 1⁄48 | 1⁄24 | 1⁄16 | 1⁄12 | 1⁄4 | 1⁄2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Half farthing | 1⁄9600 | 1⁄3840 | 1⁄1920 | 1⁄480 | 1⁄240 | 1⁄192 | 1⁄96 | 1⁄48 | 1⁄36 | 1⁄24 | 1⁄8 | 1⁄4 | 1⁄2 | 1 | 1+1⁄2 | 2 |
Third farthing | 1⁄14400 | 1⁄5760 | 1⁄2880 | 1⁄720 | 1⁄360 | 1⁄288 | 1⁄144 | 1⁄72 | 1⁄48 | 1⁄36 | 1⁄12 | 1⁄6 | 1⁄3 | 2⁄3 | 1 | 1+1⁄3 |
Quarter farthing | 1⁄19200 | 1⁄7680 | 1⁄3840 | 1⁄960 | 1⁄480 | 1⁄384 | 1⁄192 | 1⁄96 | 1⁄72 | 1⁄48 | 1⁄16 | 1⁄8 | 1⁄4 | 1⁄2 | 3⁄4 | 1 |
Slang and everyday usage
Some pre-decimalisation coins or denominations became commonly known by colloquial and slang terms, perhaps the most well known being bob for a
Quid remains as popular slang for one or more pounds to this day in Britain in the form "a quid" and then "two quid", and so on. Similarly, in some parts of the country, bob continued to represent one-twentieth of a pound, that is five new pence, and two bob is 10p.[49]
The introduction of decimal currency caused a new casual usage to emerge, where any value in pence is spoken using the suffix pee: e.g. "twenty-three pee" or, in the early years, "two-and-a-half pee" rather than the previous "tuppence-ha'penny". Amounts over a pound are normally spoken thus: "five pounds forty". A value with less than ten pence over the pound is sometimes spoken like this: "one pound and a penny", "three pounds and fourpence". The slang term "bit" has almost disappeared from use completely, although in Scotland a fifty pence is sometimes referred to as a "ten bob bit". Decimal denomination coins are generally described using the terms piece or coin, for example, "a fifty-pee piece", a "ten-pence coin".
Monarch's profile
All coins since the late
Facing left | Facing right | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Cromwell 1653–1658[51] | Charles II 1660–1685 | |||
James II 1685–1688 | Mary 1689–1694 1694–1702William III |
|||
Anne 1702–1714 | George I 1714–1727 | |||
George II 1727–1760 | George III 1760–1820 |
|||
George IV 1820–1830 |
William IV 1830–1837 |
|||
Victoria 1837–1901 | Edward VII 1901–1910 | |||
George V 1910–1936 | ||||
Edward VIII 1936 | (uncirculated issues) | |||
George VI 1936–1952 | Elizabeth II 1952–2022 | |||
Charles III 2022–present |
For the
There was a small quirk in this alternating pattern when
Regal titles
From a very early date, British coins have been inscribed with the name of the ruler of the kingdom in which they were produced, and a longer or shorter title, always in Latin; among the earliest distinctive English coins are the silver pennies of Offa of Mercia, which were inscribed with the legend OFFA REX "King Offa". As the legends became longer, words in the inscriptions were often abbreviated so that they could fit on the coin; identical legends have often been abbreviated in different ways depending upon the size and decoration of the coin. Inscriptions which go around the edge of the coin generally have started at the center of the top edge and proceeded in a clockwise direction. A very lengthy legend would be continued on the reverse side of the coin. All monarchs used Latinised names, save Edward III and Edward VI,[56] both Elizabeths, and Charles III (which would have been EDWARDUS, ELIZABETHA, and CAROLUS respectively).
Latin text | English text | Notes |
---|---|---|
EDWARD DEI GRA REX ANGL Z FRANC D HYB(E) | Lord of Ireland |
|
EDWARD DEI GRA REX ANGL DNS HYB Z ACQ | Edward, by the grace of God King of England, Lord of Ireland and Aquitaine | Used after the Treaty of Brétigny (1360) when Edward III temporarily gave up his claim to the French throne. |
EDWARD DEI G REX ANG Z FRA DNS HYB Z ACT | Edward, by the grace of God King of England and France, Lord of Ireland and Aquitaine. | Used after Anglo-French relations broke down and Edward III resumed his claim. |
HENRICUS VII DEI GRATIA REX ANGLIÆ & FRANCIÆ | Henry VII by the Grace of God, King of England and France | France had been claimed by the English continuously since 1369. |
HENRICUS VIII DEI GRATIA REX ANGLIÆ & FRANCIÆ | Henry VIII by the Grace of God, King of England and France |
The Arabic numeral 8 was also used instead of the Roman VIII. |
HENRICUS VIII DEI GRATIA ANGLIÆ FRANCIÆ & HIBERNIÆ REX | Henry VIII by the Grace of God, Of England, France and Ireland, King |
Used after Henry VIII made Ireland a kingdom in 1541. The Arabic numeral 8 was also used instead of the Roman VIII. |
PHILIPPUS ET MARIA DEI GRATIA REX & REGINA | Philip and Mary by the Grace of God, King and Queen | The names of the realms were omitted from the coin for reasons of space. |
ELIZABETH DEI GRATIA ANGLIÆ FRANCIÆ ET HIBERNIÆ REGINA | Elizabeth , by the Grace of God, of England, France, and Ireland, Queen |
|
IACOBUS DEI GRATIA MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ FRANCIÆ ET HIBERNIÆ REX | James , by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King |
James, King of Scotland, by succeeding to the English throne united the two kingdoms in his person; he dubbed the combination of the two kingdoms "Great Britain" (the name of the whole island) though they remained legislatively distinct for more than a century afterwards. |
CAROLUS DEI GRATIA MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ FRANCIÆ ET HIBERNIÆ REX | Charles, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King | |
OLIVARIUS DEI GRATIA REIPUBLICÆ ANGLIÆ SCOTIÆ HIBERNIÆ & CETERORUM PROTECTOR | Oliver, by the Grace of God, of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, Ireland etc., Protector | Cromwell ruled as a monarch but did not claim the title of king. |
CAROLUS II DEI GRATIA MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ FRANCIÆ ET HIBERNIÆ REX | Charles II, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King | |
IACOBUS II DEI GRATIA MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ FRANCIÆ ET HIBERNIÆ REX | James II, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King | |
GULIELMUS ET MARIA DEI GRATIA MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ FRANCIÆ ET HIBERNIÆ REX ET REGINA | Mary by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King and Queen |
The spouses William and Mary ruled jointly. |
GULIELMUS III DEI GRATIA MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ FRANCIÆ ET HIBERNIÆ REX | William III by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King | William continued to rule alone after his wife's death. |
ANNA DEI GRATIA MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ FRANCIÆ ET HIBERNIÆ REGINA | Anne by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Queen | |
GEORGIUS DEI GRATIA MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ FRANCIÆ ET HIBERNIÆ REX FIDEI DEFENSOR BRUNSVICENSIS ET LUNEBURGENSIS DUX SACRI ROMANI IMPERII ARCHITHESAURARIUS ET ELECTOR | Brunswick and Lüneburg Duke, of the Holy Roman Empire Archtreasurer and Elector |
George I added the titles he already possessed as Elector of Henry VIII , but which had previously only rarely appeared on coins.
|
GEORGIUS II DEI GRATIA MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ FRANCIÆ ET HIBERNIÆ REX FIDEI DEFENSOR BRUNSVICENSIS ET LUNEBURGENSIS DUX SACRI ROMANI IMPERII ARCHITHESAURARIUS ET ELECTOR | George II by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, of Brunswick and Lüneburg Duke, of the Holy Roman Empire Archtreasurer and Elector | |
GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA MAGNÆ BRITANNIÆ FRANCIÆ ET HIBERNIÆ REX FIDEI DEFENSOR BRUNSVICENSIS ET LUNEBURGENSIS DUX SACRI ROMANI IMPERII ARCHITHESAURARIUS ET ELECTOR | George III by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, of Brunswick and Lüneburg Duke, of the Holy Roman Empire Archtreasurer and Elector |
|
GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR | George III, by the Grace of God, of the Britains King, Defender of the Faith | The Acts of Union united Great Britain and Ireland into a single kingdom, represented on the coinage by the Latin genitive plural Britanniarum ("of the Britains", often abbreviated BRITT). At the same time, the claim to the throne of France was dropped and other titles were omitted from the coinage. |
GEORGIUS IIII (IV) DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR | George IV , by the Grace of God, of the Britains King, Defender of the Faith |
The Roman numeral "4" is represented by both IIII and IV in different issues. |
GULIELMUS IIII DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR | William IV , by the Grace of God, of the Britains King, Defender of the Faith |
|
VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM REGINA FIDEI DEFENSOR | Victoria , by the Grace of God, of the Britains Queen, Defender of the Faith |
|
VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM REGINA FIDEI DEFENSOR INDIÆ IMPERATRIX | Victoria, by the Grace of God, of the Britains Queen, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India |
Queen Victoria was granted the title "Empress of India" in 1876. |
EDWARDUS VII DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM OMNIUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR INDIÆ IMPERATOR | Edward VII , by the Grace of God, of all the Britains King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India |
Edward VII's coins added OMNIUM ("all") after "Britains" to imply a rule over the British overseas colonies as well as the United Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland. |
GEORGIUS V DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM OMNIUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR INDIÆ IMPERATOR | George V , by the Grace of God, of all the Britains King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India |
|
EDWARDUS VIII DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM OMNIUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR INDIÆ IMPERATOR | Edward VIII , by the Grace of God, of all the Britains King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India |
Although Edward VIII abdicated, his coins never properly entered circulation but it can be assumed his coins had these words. |
GEORGIUS VI DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM OMNIUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR INDIÆ IMPERATOR | George VI , by the Grace of God, of all the Britains King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India |
|
GEORGIUS VI DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM OMNIUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR | George VI , by the Grace of God, of all the Britains King, Defender of the Faith |
The title "Emperor of India" was relinquished in 1948, after the independence of India and Pakistan. |
ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM OMNIUM REGINA FIDEI DEFENSOR[57] | Elizabeth II , by the Grace of God, of all the Britains Queen, Defender of the Faith |
|
ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FIDEI DEFENSOR[58] | Elizabeth II , by the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith |
The "of all the Britains" was dropped from the coinage in 1954, and current coins do not name any realm. |
CHARLES III DEI GRATIA REX FIDEI DEFENSOR[59] | Charles III, by the Grace of God, King, Defender of the Faith |
Coins in the colonies
Some coins made for circulation in the British colonies are considered part of British coinage because they have no indication of what country it was minted for and they were made in the same style as contemporary coins circulating in the United Kingdom.
A
The half farthing (1/8 of a penny, 1/1920 of a pound) coin was initially minted in 1828 for use in Ceylon, but was declared legal tender in the United Kingdom in 1842.[61]
The third farthing (1/12 of a penny, 1/2880 of a pound) coin was minted for use in Malta, starting in 1827.[61]
The quarter farthing (1/16 of a penny, 1/3840 of a pound) coin was minted for use in Ceylon starting in 1839.[61]
Mottos
In addition to the title, a Latin or French motto might be included, generally on the reverse side of the coin. These varied between denominations and issues; some were personal to the monarch, others were more general. Some of the mottos were:
- POSUI DEUM ADIUTOREM MEUM "I have made God my helper". Coins of Elizabeth I. Possibly refers to Psalm 52:7, Ecce homo qui non-posuit Deum adjutorem suum "Behold the man who did not make God his helper".
- RUTILANS ROSA SINE SPINA "A dazzling rose without a thorn". Coins of Crown of the Roseof Henry VIII and continued on subsequent small gold coinage into the reign of Edward VI.
- POSUIMUS DEUM ADIUTOREM NOSTRUM "We have made God our helper". Coins of Philip and Mary. The same as above, but with a plural subject.
- FACIAM EOS IN GENTEM UNAM "I shall make them into one nation". Coins of Bible.
- CHRISTO AUSPICE REGNO "I reign with Christ as my protector". Coins of Charles I.
- EXURGAT DEUS DISSIPENTUR INIMICI "May God rise up, may [his] enemies be scattered". Coins of Charles I, during the Civil War. Refers to Psalm 67:1 in the Vulgate Bible (Psalm 68 in English Bible numbering).
- PAX QUÆRITUR BELLO "Peace is sought by war". Coins of the Protectorate; personal motto of Oliver Cromwell.
- BRITANNIA "Britain". Reign of George III. Found on pennies and smaller denominations.
- HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE. "Shamed be he who thinks ill of it." Sovereigns of George III. Motto of the Order of the Garter.
- DECUS ET TUTAMEN. "An ornament and a safeguard." Some pound coins of George V. Refers to the inscribed edge as a protection against the clipping of precious metal, as well as being a complimentary reference to the monarch and the monarchy.
Minting errors reaching circulation
This section needs additional citations for verification. (November 2023) |
Coins with errors in the minting process that reach circulation are often seen as valuable items by coin collectors.
In 1983, the Royal Mint mistakenly produced some two pence pieces with the old wording "New Pence" on the reverse (tails) side, when the design had been changed from 1982 to "Two Pence".
In 2016, a batch of double-dated £1 coins was released into circulation. These coins had the main date on the obverse as '2016', but micro-engraving on the reverse dated as '2017'. It is not known how many exist and are in circulation, but the amount is fewer than half a million.
In June 2009, the Royal Mint estimated that between 50,000 and 200,000 dateless
See also
- Banknotes of the pound sterling
- List of British banknotes and coins
- Mark (money)
- Non-decimal currency
- One hundred pounds (British coin)
- Roman currency
- Twenty pounds (British coin)
References
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
- ^ "First King Charles 50p coins enter circulation". BBC. 8 December 2022. Archived from the original on 8 December 2022.
- ^ "New 12-sided pound coin to enter circulation in March". BBC News. 1 January 2017. Archived from the original on 31 March 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
- ^ "How can I dispose of commemorative crowns? And why do some have a higher face value than others?". The Royal Mint Museum. Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ "Mintage Figures". The Royal Mint. Archived from the original on 17 May 2013.
- ^ "A Brief History of Coinage in Britain". Chards. 3 December 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ "Coins – Collector Gold & Silver Coins & Limited Edition Gifts". The Royal Mint. Archived from the original on 10 February 2005.
- ^ "Llantrisant". Royal Mint. 2012. Archived from the original on 16 November 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
In April 1967 it was announced that the new Royal Mint would be built at Llantrisant in South Wales.
- ^ "National Museums of Scotland – Balance and scales (detail)". Archived from the original on 9 April 2009.
- ^ Kleer, Richard. "The 1696 Recoinage (1696–1699)". Archived 14 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine. The Literary Encyclopedia. University of Regina.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-571-22992-5
- ^ Murray, Athol L. (1999). "The Scottish Mint after the recoinage, 1709–1836". Archived 22 August 2009 at Wikiwix. Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
- ^ Murray, Athol L. (1997). "Sir Isaac Newton and the Scottish recoinage, 1707–10". Archived 21 August 2009 at Wikiwix. Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
- ^ Newton, Isaac (21 September 1717). "On the Value of Gold and Silver in European Currencies and the Consequences on the World-wide Gold- and Silver-Trade". Archived 28 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "By The King, A Proclamation Declaring the Rates at which Gold shall be current in Payments". The Numismatic Chronicle and Journal of the Royal Numismatic Society, vol V., April 1842 – January 1843.
- ^ McVeigh, Karen (12 May 2006). "Why coppers are rising in value". The Times. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- ^ "Corporate FAQs". Royal Mint. Archived from the original on 11 November 2007.
- ^ The Fifth Definitive Coinage Portrait First Edition Archived 3 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine Royal Mint (www.royalmint.com). Retrieved on 2015-03-03.
- ^ Peachey, Kevin (30 September 2022). "King Charles: New coins featuring monarch's portrait unveiled". BBC News. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Royal Mint unveils coin designs". BBC News. 2 April 2008. Archived from the original on 25 June 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
- ^ New Coin Designs FAQ Archived 6 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Royal Mint
- ^ "Birmingham MP's crusade to bring back Britannia on coins" Archived 8 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Birmingham Post, 9 February 2009
- ^ "Your Change is Changing". Bulletin (107). Royal Mint: 6. 2008.
[Stephen Raw said] "We couldn't have had post-modern designs like this 50 years ago – the public simply wouldn't have accepted them
- ^ a b c "Wales short-changed by new coin designs" Archived 13 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Daily Post (North Wales), 3 April 2008
- ^ Ironside, Virginia (6 April 2008). "I hate the new coins. My father must be turning in his grave". The Independent. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
- ^ "Make Way for Britain's New Coin Designs". Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2008.
- ^ "Cupro Nickel Replacement Programme". Archived from the original on 10 July 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
- ^ "Treasury 'should foot coin change bill'". BBC News. 5 November 2011. Archived from the original on 5 November 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2011.
- ^ Lacey, Anna (22 June 2013). "A bad penny? New coins and nickel allergy". BBC Health Check. Archived from the original on 7 August 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
- TheGuardian.com. 31 March 2016.
- ^ "£1 Coin | the Royal Mint".
- ^ "£2 Coin Designs and Specifications | the Royal Mint".
- ^ "By Royal Approval: The United Kingdom's New Definitive Coins".
- TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
- ^ "The Great British Coin Hunt 2018 – Quintessentially British a to Z Sterling Silver Coins".
- ^ "Harry Potter coin collection: Dumbledore 50p first to feature King's portrait". BBC News. 16 February 2023.
- ^ "Legal Tender Guidelines". The Royal Mint.
- ^ "How the Royal Mint is Attempting to Redefine "Legal Tender" for Collector Coins". 27 March 2016.
- ^ Barker, Simon (14 January 2020). "Are £5 Coins Legal Tender?". CostlyCoins.
- ^ "The Queen's Beasts are brought to life in a new bullion coin range", Royal Mint Blog, 31 March 2016, archived from the original on 2 April 2016, retrieved 1 April 2016
- ^ "Foreign and Commonwealth Office country profiles: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands". fco.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 22 April 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- ^ "Foreign and Commonwealth Office country profiles: British Antarctic Territory". fco.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- ^ "Foreign and Commonwealth Office country profiles: Tristan da Cunha". fco.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 30 June 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- ^ "Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands". Archived from the original on 12 November 2002.
- ^ The British Antarctic Territory Currency Archived 19 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Antarctic Heritage Trust
- ISBN 9780674042438.
- ^ "Ask Oxford". Archived from the original on 29 March 2007.
- ^ ""bob or two" – Google Search".
- Blogspot.
- ^ https://www.britnumsoc.org/publications/Digital%20BNJ/pdfs/1919_BNJ_15_9.pdf
- Pierre Blondeau.
- ^ Although the left/right alternation is now considered to have begun with Charles II, coins of both types were manufactured during his reign. See https://www.britnumsoc.org/publications/Digital%20BNJ/pdfs/1919_BNJ_15_9.pdf and https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/61525
- ^ https://www.britnumsoc.org/publications/Digital%20BNJ/pdfs/1919_BNJ_15_9.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ "Rare Edward VIII coin showing profile of monarch's 'better side' goes on display". BT.com. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
- ^ "Hammered Coin Inscriptions and Their Meanings, Edward VI & Mary I".
- ^ "Page 3023 | Supplement 39873, 26 May 1953 | London Gazette | the Gazette".
- ^ "Page 3023 | Supplement 39873, 26 May 1953 | London Gazette | the Gazette".
- ^ "King Charles: New coins featuring monarch's portrait unveiled". BBC News. 29 September 2022.
- ^ Chalmers, Robert (1893). A History of Currency in the British Colonies. London, UK: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. p. 110. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
- ^ a b c "Fractional Farthings". The Royal Mint Museum.
- ^ Bingham, John (29 June 2009). "Mix-up at Royal Mint creates dateless 20p pieces worth £50". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2 July 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
External links
- Clayton, Tony: Coins of England and Great Britain
- Chard, Juliana: Common Names of British Coin Denominations
- UK Coin Designs and Specifications from the Royal Mint's website
- Coin Designs — Royal Mint competition designs
- United Kingdom: Coins Issued and Used – list of all UK coins, with photos and descriptions
- Old Money Converter – converts £sd to decimal currency
- Old Money Converter 2 – converts decimal currency to £sd