Predecimal British Coinage for the Newbie (1820-1970)
wybrit
Posts: 6,972 ✭✭✭
The currency of Great Britain was and remains the pound, the symbol is £.
In today's coinage, £1 = 100 pence (formerly known as new pence).
Before the change to decimal coinage in 1971, the pound has two subdivisions.
£1 = 20 shillings (symbol s or /)
1 shilling = 12 pence (symbol d)
The predecimal coinage (excluding Maundy money):
Copper/Bronze - copper until 1860. Bronze (and smaller sized) beginning 1860.
Quarter Farthing - Struck for use in Ceylon, was never legal tender in Britain. Because of similarities with coins that were legal tender, it was accepted by collectors as a British piece. Valued at 1/16 of a penny. Currency pieces only struck in 1839, 1851, 1852 and 1853.
Third Farthing - Struck for use in Malta, was never legal tender in Britain. Because of similarities with farthings, it was accepted by collectors as a British piece. Valued at 1/12 of a penny. These pieces were minted as late as 1913.
Half Farthing - Struck for use in Ceylon, became legal tender in Britain in 1842. Valued at 1/8 of a penny.
Farthing - A standard of British coinage for centuries, valued at four to a penny. Due to inflation, these ceased to be legal tender at the end of 1960, when ajaan was a youthful 40.
Halfpenny - Sometimes called a "ha'penny" (HAYP-NEE) by the Brits, another standard until it was phased out July 31 1969, the first casualty of decimalisation.
Penny - The penny was a mainstay until 1971. Silver pennies are part of the Maundy set and are ridiculously tiny at 11 mm in diameter (they are still legal tender, valued as 1p today). To "spend a penny" meant to use a pay toilet.
Silver - struck in sterling through 1920, debased .500 1920-1946, cupro-nickel from 1947 onwards.
Threehalfpence. This is not actually a British coin, but struck for use in Ceylon and the West Indies. It is half of a threepence and looks like a Maundy coin gone wrong, thus it is now classified as a British coin. It was last struck as circulation coinage in 1862. It was a ridiculous 12 mm in diameter.
Threepence. This coin was issued as a circulation piece and was also part of the four coin Maundy money set. It was a very unpopular piece, being hard to handle/easy to lose. The coin was struck until 1941 for the UK, issued for three more years for the West Indies (which is why these otherwise rare dates are generally easy to find in the US), then finally replaced by a twelve sided nickel-brass issue. The brass 3d was actually issued beginning in 1937. It was lost to decimalization in 1971. The silver piece, however, was revalued at three new pence and is still legal tender to this day.
Groat. This was valued at four pence and had a nickname of "Joey." It made little sense to have this and the threepence circulate together - the obverses were identical! In fact, the only difference between the coins was that the groat had a milled edge while the threepence had a plain edge. The groat ceased to be minted after 1855 except for the odd proof. In 1888 the Mint made a one-off strike of pieces and shipped them to British Guiana (Guyana).
Sixpence. Also known as a "Tanner." It was struck through 1967 and remained legal tender valued at two and a half new pence until 1980.
Shilling. Also called "A Bob." This piece was a mainstay of the coinage. It was struck in "English" and "Scottish" varieties from 1937-1966. The old shillings and new 5 pence coins circulated side by side until 1990 when the Royal Mint decided that the 5p coin should be smaller and look and feel like play money. The new size is highly unpopular, I am told.
Florin. Also called "Two Shillings", "Two Bob" or 2/-. This was introduced in 1848 as a pattern and in 1849 as an actual attempt to decimalise the pound. Halfcrowns ceased to be made at the same time as it was intended that the florin replace it. In a move more emotional than logical, the Mint began striking halfcrowns again in 1874 and the two coins were simultaneously issued thereafter with few interruptions until 1967. The florin continued to be struck as a ten pence coin beginnning in 1968. Florins and 10p coins were used side by side until 1992 when the ten pence was reduced in diameter to roughly the size of the old shilling.
Halfcrown. A halfcrown is two shillings and sixpence (2/6), or one eighth of a pound. It was demonetized December 31 1969, another early casualty of decimalisation.
Double Florin. An unpopular coin worth four shillings (4/-) issued 1887-1890 as a second step toward decimalisation. This denomination made a successful reappearance in 1982 as the new 7-sided 20p coin.
Crown. A crown is valued at five shillings (one quarter of a pound). Struck in silver through 1937. Issues of 1951, 1953, 1960, 1965 (the ugly "Churchill Crown") and the post decimal 1972, 1977, 1980 and 1981 were all struck in cupro-nickel. This coin did circulate in early times, but was a commemorative piece from 1937 onwards. It is one of the five coins of the predecimal era to remain legal tender after 1971. To my knowledge, it is still legal tender, though may be confused with the crown sized £5 piece issued today.
Gold
Half Sovereign. Face value of ten shillings, basically replaced by the ten bob note (which was up Mr. Mustard's nose). The 1887 "Withdrawn Reverse" sixpence was coated in gold by crooks and passed off as a half sovereign. I can't understand why that would have worked though.
Sovereign. Struck in gold with a face value of £1 ("One Quid"). This coin did circulate and was struck around the world as well as by the London mint.
2 pounds. Struck in gold. Was made as a commemorative piece only. Available primarily as a member of the proof sets issued in 1826, 1831, 1887, 1893, 1902, 1911 and 1937. Other dates are 1823, 1825 and 1953.
5 pounds. Struck in gold. Was made as a commemorative piece only. The legendary "Una and the Lion" piece of 1839 is one of the most prized and famous examples. Other issue dates are 1826, 1829, 1887, 1893, 1902, 1911, 1937, 1953 (very rare) and 1957 (also very rare). Post decimal gold pieces have also been struck.
Another oddball denomination is the "guinea," which is valued at 21 shillings or £1.05. There are still some old timers who quote prices in guineas.
In today's coinage, £1 = 100 pence (formerly known as new pence).
Before the change to decimal coinage in 1971, the pound has two subdivisions.
£1 = 20 shillings (symbol s or /)
1 shilling = 12 pence (symbol d)
The predecimal coinage (excluding Maundy money):
Copper/Bronze - copper until 1860. Bronze (and smaller sized) beginning 1860.
Quarter Farthing - Struck for use in Ceylon, was never legal tender in Britain. Because of similarities with coins that were legal tender, it was accepted by collectors as a British piece. Valued at 1/16 of a penny. Currency pieces only struck in 1839, 1851, 1852 and 1853.
Third Farthing - Struck for use in Malta, was never legal tender in Britain. Because of similarities with farthings, it was accepted by collectors as a British piece. Valued at 1/12 of a penny. These pieces were minted as late as 1913.
Half Farthing - Struck for use in Ceylon, became legal tender in Britain in 1842. Valued at 1/8 of a penny.
Farthing - A standard of British coinage for centuries, valued at four to a penny. Due to inflation, these ceased to be legal tender at the end of 1960, when ajaan was a youthful 40.
Halfpenny - Sometimes called a "ha'penny" (HAYP-NEE) by the Brits, another standard until it was phased out July 31 1969, the first casualty of decimalisation.
Penny - The penny was a mainstay until 1971. Silver pennies are part of the Maundy set and are ridiculously tiny at 11 mm in diameter (they are still legal tender, valued as 1p today). To "spend a penny" meant to use a pay toilet.
Silver - struck in sterling through 1920, debased .500 1920-1946, cupro-nickel from 1947 onwards.
Threehalfpence. This is not actually a British coin, but struck for use in Ceylon and the West Indies. It is half of a threepence and looks like a Maundy coin gone wrong, thus it is now classified as a British coin. It was last struck as circulation coinage in 1862. It was a ridiculous 12 mm in diameter.
Threepence. This coin was issued as a circulation piece and was also part of the four coin Maundy money set. It was a very unpopular piece, being hard to handle/easy to lose. The coin was struck until 1941 for the UK, issued for three more years for the West Indies (which is why these otherwise rare dates are generally easy to find in the US), then finally replaced by a twelve sided nickel-brass issue. The brass 3d was actually issued beginning in 1937. It was lost to decimalization in 1971. The silver piece, however, was revalued at three new pence and is still legal tender to this day.
Groat. This was valued at four pence and had a nickname of "Joey." It made little sense to have this and the threepence circulate together - the obverses were identical! In fact, the only difference between the coins was that the groat had a milled edge while the threepence had a plain edge. The groat ceased to be minted after 1855 except for the odd proof. In 1888 the Mint made a one-off strike of pieces and shipped them to British Guiana (Guyana).
Sixpence. Also known as a "Tanner." It was struck through 1967 and remained legal tender valued at two and a half new pence until 1980.
Shilling. Also called "A Bob." This piece was a mainstay of the coinage. It was struck in "English" and "Scottish" varieties from 1937-1966. The old shillings and new 5 pence coins circulated side by side until 1990 when the Royal Mint decided that the 5p coin should be smaller and look and feel like play money. The new size is highly unpopular, I am told.
Florin. Also called "Two Shillings", "Two Bob" or 2/-. This was introduced in 1848 as a pattern and in 1849 as an actual attempt to decimalise the pound. Halfcrowns ceased to be made at the same time as it was intended that the florin replace it. In a move more emotional than logical, the Mint began striking halfcrowns again in 1874 and the two coins were simultaneously issued thereafter with few interruptions until 1967. The florin continued to be struck as a ten pence coin beginnning in 1968. Florins and 10p coins were used side by side until 1992 when the ten pence was reduced in diameter to roughly the size of the old shilling.
Halfcrown. A halfcrown is two shillings and sixpence (2/6), or one eighth of a pound. It was demonetized December 31 1969, another early casualty of decimalisation.
Double Florin. An unpopular coin worth four shillings (4/-) issued 1887-1890 as a second step toward decimalisation. This denomination made a successful reappearance in 1982 as the new 7-sided 20p coin.
Crown. A crown is valued at five shillings (one quarter of a pound). Struck in silver through 1937. Issues of 1951, 1953, 1960, 1965 (the ugly "Churchill Crown") and the post decimal 1972, 1977, 1980 and 1981 were all struck in cupro-nickel. This coin did circulate in early times, but was a commemorative piece from 1937 onwards. It is one of the five coins of the predecimal era to remain legal tender after 1971. To my knowledge, it is still legal tender, though may be confused with the crown sized £5 piece issued today.
Gold
Half Sovereign. Face value of ten shillings, basically replaced by the ten bob note (which was up Mr. Mustard's nose). The 1887 "Withdrawn Reverse" sixpence was coated in gold by crooks and passed off as a half sovereign. I can't understand why that would have worked though.
Sovereign. Struck in gold with a face value of £1 ("One Quid"). This coin did circulate and was struck around the world as well as by the London mint.
2 pounds. Struck in gold. Was made as a commemorative piece only. Available primarily as a member of the proof sets issued in 1826, 1831, 1887, 1893, 1902, 1911 and 1937. Other dates are 1823, 1825 and 1953.
5 pounds. Struck in gold. Was made as a commemorative piece only. The legendary "Una and the Lion" piece of 1839 is one of the most prized and famous examples. Other issue dates are 1826, 1829, 1887, 1893, 1902, 1911, 1937, 1953 (very rare) and 1957 (also very rare). Post decimal gold pieces have also been struck.
Another oddball denomination is the "guinea," which is valued at 21 shillings or £1.05. There are still some old timers who quote prices in guineas.
Former owner, Cambridge Gate collection.
0
Comments
Wasn't there also a half sovereign that is still issued today in gold?
I'd like to nominate this very informative thread for DPOTD
My OmniCoin Collection
My BankNoteBank Collection
Tom, formerly in Albuquerque, NM.
1-Dammit Boy Oct 14,2003
International Coins
"A work in progress"
Wayne
eBay registered name:
Hard_ Search (buyer/bidder, a small time seller)
e-mail: wayne.whatley@gmail.com
Oops. I knew that....
Will fix!!
"Sing a song of sixpence,. A pocket full of rye. Four and twenty blackbirds. Baked in a pie."
and also, as a wedding good luck charm for brides:
"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a lucky sixpence in her shoe."
I find British Maundy's to be some of the coolest silver coins. They are tiny, but are often available in high grade because of their ceremonial status and low face value. For more on the ceremony where the reigning monarch gives coins at Easter time:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maundy_money
Because I play the pennywhistle, I have to mention that this recorder-like instrument may have got its name because it was sold for an English penny when it was introduced in 1843. Some say it was because buskers received pennies as tips but I think it was the price of the instrument.
DPOTD-3
'Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery'
CU #3245 B.N.A. #428
Don
You can't understand how people were fooled? If this is the question, I guess that the answer is that most people, unlike us collectors, don't pay much attention to the coin, other than the colour, size and perhaps the very basics of its design.
DPOTD has my vote too, this is definetely not only for the newbie.
myEbay
DPOTD 3
My OmniCoin Collection
My BankNoteBank Collection
Tom, formerly in Albuquerque, NM.
Coinkat makes the announcements (generally speaking).
THANKS!!!!
This is definitively a DPOTD!
<< <i>
Crown. A crown is valued at five shillings (one quarter of a pound). Struck in silver through 1937. Issues of 1951, 1953, 1960, 1965 (the ugly "Churchill Crown") and the post decimal 1972, 1977, 1980 and 1981 were all struck in cupro-nickel. This coin did circulate in early times, but was a commemorative piece from 1937 onwards. It is one of the five coins of the predecimal era to remain legal tender after 1971. To my knowledge, it is still legal tender, though may be confused with the crown sized £5 piece issued today.
>>
Based on my reckoning this is incorrect. Now the whole issue of what is legal tender and what is not seems very precarious. Coincraft stated several coins were legal tender, when asking the Royal mint they stated they definately were not. The trouble is i know that the Royal Mint (or rather, i strongly suspect that the advice given to me by the Royal Mint was incorrect regarding one denomination, that of the silver threepence)
According to my initial reading the following were legal tender after decimalisation day;
£5 coin (as £5)
£2 coin (as £2)
Sovereign (as £1)
Half Sovereign (as 50p)
Crown (as 25p)
Double Florin (as 20p)
Florin (as 10p)
Shilling (as 5p)
Sixpence (as 2 1/2p)
Silver Threepences (as 3p)
Plus the maundy coinage. All the other are or were definately demonetised. The situation of the Britannia Groat i am unsure about, was it ever demonetised in the first place?
Now the Royal Mint stated silver threepences were not legal tender. However as Coincraft correctly points out Maundy money is legal tender. And since the Maundy threepences and more often than not the currency threepences have exactly the same design who's really going to know otherwise? So therefore both might as well be legal tender.
Of the remaining, the florin, shilling and sixpence have all been demonetised. The florin in June 1993, the Shilling in december 1990 and the sixpence during 1980.
The gold coinage is definately legal tender (so long as it has a milled edge, if it's plain then it's not, so 1937 gold coins are not legal tender and never were).
As for crowns and double florins, i haven't heard any mention of them ever being demonetised since 1971.
And as for guineas; horse auctions are still conducted in guineas.
Silver 3d (oddly enough, it became worth more than the sixpence)
Sixpence
Shilling
Florin
Crown
The others were technically legal tender but highly unlikely to have been used in trade.
I figured I might get a short response or referred to a book of some sort.
Thanks Wybrit, I finally understand this now (I think...).
Definitely a post of the day. At least that is what I assume DPOTD to mean.
Printing and archiving as we speak...
Nick
<< <i>I'd like to thank Wybrit for his response to my email the other day. I told him I thought I understood the British monetary system until I started looking into buying a couple more British coins from the predecimalization era. Then it all fell apart.
I figured I might get a short response or referred to a book of some sort.
Thanks Wybrit, I finally understand this now (I think...).
Definitely a post of the day. At least that is what I assume DPOTD to mean.
Printing and archiving as we speak...
Nick >>
Don't worry Nick it gets easier!
The hardest thing is when people refer to sixpences (6d) as 2 1/2p. (It's just predecimal pennies are different to decimal pennies).
The best way to get you head around predecimal is to ignore how it relates to the decimal for a bit and just learn the predecimal on it's own, learn to understand the old system.
Remember 12 pennies in a shilling, and 20 shillings in a pound... the rest is just fancy.