On April 2, 2008, Britain's circulating coinage was given the first major redesign since decimalisation

The standard circulating coinage of the United Kingdom is denominated in pounds sterling, and, since the introduction of the two pound coin in 1998, ranges in value from one new penny to two pounds. Since decimalisation, on 15 February 1971, the pound (symbol "£") is divided into 100 pence (new pennies). For several hundred years prior to decimalisation, the pound was divided into 20 shillings, each of 12 (old) pennies. British coins are designed and minted by the Royal Mint in Llantrisant, Wales. is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... For details of notes and coins, see British coinage and British banknotes. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ... The symbol £ represents the pound currency which Britain uses. ... The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. ... Llantrisant is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff, traditional county of Glamorgan, south Wales, lying on the River Ely and the River Clun. ...

The first decimal coins were circulated in 1968. These were the five pence and ten pence, and had values of one shilling and two shillings, respectively, under the pre-decimal £sd system. All the decimal coins have uniform composition, except the two pound coin, which is bimetallic. They are discs, except for the twenty pence and fifty pence pieces, which are heptagonal, and are composed of bronze, copper-plate steel, cupro-nickel and nickel steel. All the circulating coins have an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse, and various national and regional designs, and the denomination, on the reverse. The circulating coins, excepting the two pound coin, were redesigned in 2008, keeping the sizes and compositions unchanged, but introducing designs on the reverse of most, which each depict a part of the Royal Shield of Arms, and form the whole shield when they are placed together in the appropriate arrangement. The exception, the 2008 one pound coin, depicts the entire shield of arms on the reverse. All current coins carry a Latin inscription whose full form is ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FIDEI DEFENSOR, meaning "Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen and Defender of the Faith". £sd (pronounced, and sometimes written, LSD) was the popular name for the pre-decimal currencies used in the United Kingdom, and in most of its Empire and colonies. ... This article is about the metal alloy. ... Copper plating is the process in which a layer of copper is deposited on the item to be plated by using an electric current. ... Cupronickel is an alloy of copper, nickel and stengthening impurities. ... For other uses, see Steel (disambiguation). ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... The Royal Arms as used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch, and are officially... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Defenders of the Faith. ...

In addition to the circulating coinage, the UK also minted commemorative decimal coins (crowns) in the denominations of twenty-five pence and five pounds. Ceremonial Maundy money and bullion coinage of gold sovereigns, half sovereigns, and gold and silver Britannia coins is also produced. Some territories outside the United Kingdom, that use the pound sterling, use their own coinage, with the same denominations and specifications as the UK coinage but with local designs. Crown reverse, 1953 and 1960. ... Maundy Money is a special British coinage given to deserving poor people in a religious ceremony performed by Anglicans on Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter. ... Three Gold Sovereigns with a Krugerrand A Gold Sovereign is a British gold coin, first issued in 1489 for Henry VII, generally with a value of one pound sterling. ... 1915 half sovereign: reverse The half sovereign was first introduced in 1544 under Henry VIII. It was a gold coin valued at ten shillings. ... Britannia Gold Bullion coin, 1988 The Britannia is a British gold bullion coin issued since 1987, weighing one troy ounce and with a face value of 100 Pounds. ...

In the years just prior to decimalisation, the circulating British coins were the half crown, florin or two shillings, shilling, sixpence (6d), threepence (3d), penny (1d), halfpenny (½d). The farthing (¼d) had been withdrawn in 1960. Half-Crown coin of Oliver Cromwell, 1658 The half-crown was a denomination of British money worth two shillings and sixpence, being one-eighth of a pound. ... The nineteenth and twentieth century Florin or Two Shillings coin should not be confused with the medieval gold Florin, which was worth six shillings. ... This article is about coinage. ... Obverses of the 1787 and 1818 sixpence depicting George III. The sixpence, known colloquially as the tanner, was a British pre-decimal coin, worth, as the name indicates, six pence. ... The threepence, was a denomination of currency, used by various jurisdictions in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, until decimalisation of the pound sterling and Irish pound in 1971. ... For silver pennies produced after 1820 see Maundy money. ... British halfpenny, 1957 It was long considered that the first halfpenny coins were produced in the reign of King Edward I (1272–1307), with earlier requirements for small change being provided by cut coinage; that is, pennies cut into halves or quarters, usually along the cross which formed a prominent... A farthing (meaning fourth part) was a British coin worth one quarter of a penny. ...

All modern coins feature a profile of the current monarch's head. The direction in which they face changes with each successive monarch, a pattern that began with the Stuarts. For the Tudors and pre-Restoration Stuarts, both left and right-facing portrait images were minted within the reign of a single monarch. Medieval portrait images tended to be full face. For other uses, see Monarch (disambiguation). ... The House of Stuart or Stewart was a Scottish, and then British, Royal House of Breton origin. ...

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". The English silver penny was derived from another silver coin, the sceat, of 20 troy grains weight, which was in general circulation in Europe during the Middle Ages. In the 12th century, Henry II established the Sterling Silver standard for English coinage, of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper, replacing the earlier mediæval use of fine silver. The coinage reform of 1816 set up a weight/value ratio and physical sizes for silver coins. Silver was eliminated in 1947, except for Maundy coinage. Offa (died July 26/29, 796) was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death. ... This article is about the chemical element. ... Sceats were small silver coins used for trade in Anglo-Saxon times. ... A grain is a unit of mass equal to 0. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Henry II of England (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189) ruled as King of England (1154–1189), Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. ... Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Atomic mass 107. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Maundy Money is a special British coinage given to deserving poor people in a religious ceremony performed by Anglicans on Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter. ...

Post-decimalisation coinage

Obverse and reverse of circulating coins, prior to the extensive redesign of 2008: £2, £1, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p and 1p. The effigies of the Queen are different due to the date of mint not the denomination. The £1 reverse designs change annually. Numerous special commemorative issues of the 50p and £2 coins have been minted.

Decimal half penny, withdrawn 1984.

1981 commemorative twenty-five pence coin, celebrating the marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.

Reverse of 2008 commemorative five pound coin, celebrating the 60th birthday of the Prince of Wales.

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. The value of the pound itself was unchanged by decimalisation.) Download high resolution version (1800x5800, 960 KB)British monetary coins, front and back, £2, £1, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p and 1p. ... Download high resolution version (1800x5800, 960 KB)British monetary coins, front and back, £2, £1, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p and 1p. ... British 1/2 new penny Copied from http://worldcoingallery. ... British 1/2 new penny Copied from http://worldcoingallery. ... Prince Charles may refer to: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, current heir-apparent to the British throne Any of the previous British royals named Charles, Prince of Wales The former Belgian regent, Prince Charles of Belgium This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might... Lady Diana Spencer is a name shared by several members of the Spencer family, an aristocratic English family related to the Churchills of Blenheim Palace. ... This article is about the title Prince of Wales. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ... The symbol £ represents the pound currency which Britain uses. ...

The first decimal coins — the five pence (5p) and ten pence (10p) — were introduced in 1968 in the run-up to decimalisation in order to familiarise the public with the new system. These initially circulated alongside the pre-decimal coinage with values of 1 shilling and 2 shillings respectively. The fifty pence (50p) coin followed in 1969, replacing the old ten shilling note. The remaining decimal coins — at the time, the half penny (½p), penny (1p) and two pence (2p) — were issued in 1971 at decimalisation. A quarter-penny coin, to be struck in aluminium, was proposed at the time decimalisation was being planned, but was never minted. The British decimal Five Pence (5p) coin was issued in 1968 in preparation for the forthcoming decimalisation of the coinage. ... The British decimal Ten Pence (10p) coin was issued in 1968 in preparation for the forthcoming decimalisation of the coinage. ... The British decimal fifty pence (50p) coin – often pronounced fifty pee – was issued on October 14, 1969 in the run-up to decimalisation to replace the ten shilling note. ... The British decimal half penny (½p) – (pronounced as HAYP-nee, IPA: ) and also written halfpenny or hapenny – was first issued on 15 February 1971, the day the British currency was decimalised. ... For the pre-decimal British one penny coin, see British One Penny coin (pre-decimal). ... 1971 coin featuring portrait by Arnold Machin 1997 coin featuring portrait by Raphael Maklouf 2000 coin featuring portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley The British decimal Two Pence (2p) coin was issued by the Royal Mint on 15 February 1971, the day the British currency was decimalised. ... Aluminum redirects here. ...

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). For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... First row : c. ... For other uses, see Roman Empire (disambiguation). ...

Changes since decimalisation

In the years since decimalisation a number of changes have been made to the coinage. The twenty pence (20p) coin was introduced in 1982 to fill the gap between the 10p and 50p coins. The pound coin (£1) was introduced in 1983 to replace the Bank of England £1 banknote which was discontinued in 1984 (although the Scottish banks continued producing them for some time afterwards; the last of them, the Royal Bank of Scotland £1 note, is still in production as of early 2006). The designs on the one pound coin change annually in a largely five-year cycle. The British decimal Twenty Pence (20p) coin was issued in June 1982 to fill in the obvious gap between the Ten Pence and Fifty Pence coins; it rapidly gained acceptance and very large numbers now circulate [1]. The coin is minted from an alloy of 84% copper and 16% nickel... The circulating British one pound (£1) coin is minted from a nickel-brass alloy of approximately 70% copper, 24. ... Headquarters Coordinates , , Governor Mervyn King Central Bank of United Kingdom Currency Pound sterling ISO 4217 Code GBP Base borrowing rate 5. ... A £20 Bank of England banknote. ... This article is about the year. ... The Royal Bank of Scotland Plc (Scottish Gaelic: [1]) is one of the retail banking subsidiaries of Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc, which together with NatWest, provides branch banking facilities in the United Kingdom. ...

The decimal half penny coin was demonetised in 1984 as its value was by then too small to be useful. The pre-decimal sixpence, shilling and two shilling coins, which had continued to circulate alongside the decimal coinage with values of 2½p, 5p and 10p respectively, were finally withdrawn in 1980, 1990 and 1993 respectively. The British decimal half penny (½p) – (pronounced as HAYP-nee, IPA: ) and also written halfpenny or hapenny – was first issued on 15 February 1971, the day the British currency was decimalised. ... Legal tender or forced tender is payment that cannot be refused in settlement of a debt denominated in the same currency by virtue of law. ... The scilling or scylling (which possibly comes from the Teutonic root skil meaning to divide) was used in Anglo-Saxon times as money of account, even though no coins of that denomination existed. ... This article is about coinage. ... The nineteenth and twentieth century Florin or Two Shillings coin should not be confused with the medieval gold Florin, which was worth six shillings. ...

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. See: Commemorative coin United States Commemorative Coin Commemorative stamp This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

A circulating bimetallic two pound (£2) coin was introduced in 1998 (first minted in, and dated, 1997). There had previously been unimetallic commemorative £2 coins which did not normally circulate. This tendency to use the two pound coin for commemorative issues has continued since the introduction of the bimetallic coin, and a few of the older unimetallic coins have since entered circulation. The 1 euro coin is bi-metallic: the inner part of cupronickel, the outer part of nickel brass Bi-metallic coins are coins consisting of more than one metal or alloy, generally arranged with an outer ring around a contrasting center. ... // Obverse of the commemorative £2 coin The British commemorative two pound (£2) coin was minted from the same composition as the £1 coin, i. ... A mint is a facility which manufactures coins for currency. ...

There are also commemorative issues of crowns. Before 1990 these had a face value of twenty-five pence (25p), equivalent to the five shilling crown used in pre-decimal Britain. However, in 1990 crowns were redenominated with a face value of five pounds (£5)^[1] as the previous value was considered not sufficient for such a high-status coin. The size and weight of the coin remained exactly the same. Decimal crowns are generally not found in circulation as their market value is likely to be higher than their face value, but they remain legal tender. Crown reverse, 1953 and 1960. ... The commemorative British decimal Twenty-Five Pence (25p) coin was issued in four designs between 1972 and 1981. ... The commemorative Five Pounds (£5) coin is minted in cupro-nickel, an alloy of approximately 75% copper, and 25% nickel, although special versions are also minted in silver and/or gold. ...

In 2008 the coins underwent an extensive redesign, described below.

Summary of decimal denominations

• Half penny (½p; £0.005) 1971–1984, demonetised since then.
• One penny (1p; £0.01), 1971–
• Two pence (2p; £0.02), 1971–
• Five pence (5p; £0.05), 1968–1990 (reduced to present size); 1990–
• Ten pence (10p; £0.10), 1968–1992 (reduced to present size); 1992–
• Twenty pence (20p; £0.20), 1982–
• Twenty-five pence or crown (25p; £0.25), 1972–1981 (special issues, not in common circulation)
• Fifty pence (50p; £0.50), 1969–1997 (reduced to present size); 1997–
• One pound (£1.00), 1983–
• Two pounds (£2.00), 1986–1997 (special issues); 1997– (general issue)
• Five pounds or crown (£5.00), 1990– (special issues, not in common circulation)

The British decimal half penny (½p) – (pronounced as HAYP-nee, IPA: ) and also written halfpenny or hapenny – was first issued on 15 February 1971, the day the British currency was decimalised. ... For the pre-decimal British one penny coin, see British One Penny coin (pre-decimal). ... 1971 coin featuring portrait by Arnold Machin 1997 coin featuring portrait by Raphael Maklouf 2000 coin featuring portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley The British decimal Two Pence (2p) coin was issued by the Royal Mint on 15 February 1971, the day the British currency was decimalised. ... The British decimal Five Pence (5p) coin was issued in 1968 in preparation for the forthcoming decimalisation of the coinage. ... The British decimal Ten Pence (10p) coin was issued in 1968 in preparation for the forthcoming decimalisation of the coinage. ... The British decimal Twenty Pence (20p) coin was issued in June 1982 to fill in the obvious gap between the Ten Pence and Fifty Pence coins; it rapidly gained acceptance and very large numbers now circulate [1]. The coin is minted from an alloy of 84% copper and 16% nickel... The commemorative British decimal Twenty-Five Pence (25p) coin was issued in four designs between 1972 and 1981. ... The British decimal fifty pence (50p) coin – often pronounced fifty pee – was issued on October 14, 1969 in the run-up to decimalisation to replace the ten shilling note. ... The circulating British one pound (£1) coin is minted from a nickel-brass alloy of approximately 70% copper, 24. ... // Obverse of the commemorative £2 coin The British commemorative two pound (£2) coin was minted from the same composition as the £1 coin, i. ... The commemorative Five Pounds (£5) coin is minted in cupro-nickel, an alloy of approximately 75% copper, and 25% nickel, although special versions are also minted in silver and/or gold. ...

Obverse designs

All modern British coins feature a profile of the current monarch's head on the obverse. There has been only one monarch since decimalisation, Queen Elizabeth II, so her head appears on all decimal coins, facing to the right (see also Monarch's head, below). However, three different effigies have been used, reflecting the Queen's changing appearance as she has aged. These are the effigy by Arnold Machin until 1984, that by Raphael Maklouf between 1985 and 1997, and that by Ian Rank-Broadley since 1998. For other uses, see Monarch (disambiguation). ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Arnold Machin (30 September 1911 _ 9 March 1999) was a British artist, sculptor, coin and stamp designer. ... Raphael Maklouf (born 10 December 1937) is a sculptor, best known for designing the effigy of Queen Elizabeth used on Commonwealth coinage from 1985 to 1997. ... Ian Rank-Broadley (born 1952) is a British sculptor who has produced many acclaimed works, among which are several designs for British coinage. ...

All current coins carry a Latin inscription whose full form is ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FIDEI DEFENSOR, meaning "Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen and Defender of the Faith". The inscription appears on the coins in any of several abbreviated forms, typically ELIZABETH II D G REG F D. For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Defenders of the Faith. ...

Reverse designs (to 2008)

The original decimal coinage reverse designs, illustrated above, are as follows:

• ½p (discontinued 1984) — A crown, symbolising the monarch.
• 1p — A crowned portcullis with chains (the badge of the Houses of Parliament).
• 2p — The Prince of Wales's feathers: a plume of ostrich feathers within a coronet.
• 5p — A crowned thistle, formally "The Badge of Scotland, a thistle royally crowned".
• 10p — A crowned lion, part of the crest of England.
• 20p — A crowned Tudor Rose, a traditional heraldic emblem of England.
• 50p — Britannia (a personification of the United Kingdom) and lion. Numerous commemorative variants have been issued; see individual article for details.
• £1 — Numerous different year-specific designs; see individual article for details.
• £2 — An abstract design symbolising technological development. Numerous commemorative variants have been issued; see individual article for details.

The core decimal coinage reverse designs remained unchanged from initial issue up until 2008. Type Bicameral Houses House of Commons House of Lords Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin MP Speaker of the House of Lords Hélène Hayman, PC Members 1377 (646 Commons, 731 Peers) Political groups Labour Party Conservative Party Liberal Democrats Scottish National Party Plaid Cymru Democratic Unionist... The badge of the Prince of Wales The Prince of Waless feathers is the heraldic badge of the Prince of Wales. ... Binomial name Linnaeus, 1758 The present-day distribution of Ostriches. ... Two feathers Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on birds. ... Coin showing a coronet A coronet is a small crown consisting of ornaments fixed on a metal ring. ... Milk thistle flowerhead Thistledown a method of seed dispersal by wind. ... When Henry Tudor took the crown of England from Richard III in battle, he brought about the end of the Wars of the Roses between the House of Lancaster (Red Rose) and the House of York (White Rose). ... For other uses, see Britannia (disambiguation). ... The British decimal fifty pence (50p) coin – often pronounced fifty pee – was issued on October 14, 1969 in the run-up to decimalisation to replace the ten shilling note. ... The circulating British one pound (£1) coin is minted from a nickel-brass alloy of approximately 70% copper, 24. ... // Obverse of the commemorative £2 coin The British commemorative two pound (£2) coin was minted from the same composition as the £1 coin, i. ...

Reverse designs (from 2008)

In August 2005, the Royal Mint launched a competition to find new reverse designs for all circulating coins, excluding the £2 coin. The competition closed on 14 November 2005. It was announced by the Royal Mint that the new designs would be introduced in the spring of 2008^[2] and would "reflect a more contemporary, twenty-first century Britain". The original intention was to exclude both the £1 and £2 coins from the redesign because they were "relatively new additions" to the coinage. However, it was later decided to include the £1 coin.^[3] is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The winner of the competition was Matthew Dent, whose designs, unveiled in April 2008, will be introduced into circulation gradually during 2008. The pre-2008 coins will remain in circulation for the foreseeable future, alongside the new coins.^[4] The new designs are illustrated below.

The 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p coin designs of 2008 each depict a part of the Royal Shield, and form the whole shield when they are placed together in the appropriate arrangement. The Royal Shield is seen in its entirety on the £1 coin.^[5] This is the first time that one design has been split across a range of British coins. The Royal Arms as used in England, Wales and Northern Ireland The Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch, and are officially...

• The 1p coin depicts the first and third quarter of the shield, representing England and Northern Ireland
• The 2p coin depicts the second quarter of the shield, showing the lion rampant representing Scotland
• The 5p coin depicts the center of the shield, showing the meeting of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland at the middle of the arms
• The 10p coin depicts the first quarter of the shield, containing the three lions passant representing England
• The 20p coin depicts the second and fourth quarter, representing England and Scotland
• The 50p coin depicts the bottom of the shield where the harp and lions passant meet, representing England and Northern Ireland again
• The £1 coin depicts the whole of the Royal Shield
• The standard-issue £2 coin design remains unchanged

The effigy of the Queen, by Ian Rank-Broadley, continues to appear on the obverse of all the coins. The obverse of the 20p coin has been amended slightly, however, to incorporate the year, which had been on the reverse of the coin since its introduction in 1982. Ian Rank-Broadley (born 1952) is a British sculptor who has produced many acclaimed works, among which are several designs for British coinage. ...

Edge designs

The 1p, 2p, 20p and 50p coins have smooth edges. The 5p, 10p, £1 and £2 coins have milled edges. Pre-2008 issues of the £1 coin and all issues of the £2 coin have, inscribed into the milling, words or a decoration related to their face design.

One and two pound coins

Main articles: British one pound coin and British two pound coin

Many pre-2008 issues of the £1 coin carry one of the following inscriptions: The circulating British one pound (£1) coin is minted from a nickel-brass alloy of approximately 70% copper, 24. ... // Obverse of the commemorative £2 coin The British commemorative two pound (£2) coin was minted from the same composition as the £1 coin, i. ...

• DECUS ET TUTAMEN — Latin for "An ornament and a safeguard", a phrase taken from Virgil's Aeneid, and here referring to the fact that the inscription serves both as a decorative feature and as a safeguard against the clipping of the coin's edges (this is not a modern concern, but harks back to the days when circulating coins were made of precious metals). Appears on coins with English-themed, Northern Irish-themed or general UK-themed designs.
• PLEIDIOL WYF I'M GWLAD — Welsh for "True am I to my country", from the Welsh national anthem. Appears on coins with Welsh-themed designs.
• NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSIT — Latin for "No-one provokes me with impunity", the motto on the Royal coat of arms of Scotland. Appears on coins with Scottish-themed designs.

Some more recent issues have instead an ornamental edge design with no lettering. For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Virgil (disambiguation). ... Aeneas flees burning Troy, Federico Barocci, 1598 Galleria Borghese, Rome The Aeneid (IPA English pronunciation: ; in Latin Aeneis, pronounced — the title is Greek in form: genitive case Aeneidos) is a Latin epic written by Virgil in the 1st century BC (between 29 and 19 BC) that tells the legendary story... Coins showing milled (left) and engraved (right) edges, anti-clipping measures Coin clipping is the act of shaving off a small portion of the precious metal for profit. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau (usually translated as The Land of My Fathers, but literally The old country of my fathers) is by tradition the national anthem of Wales. ... Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one wounds me with impunity, literally meaning (lacessere = to appeal to, to provoke, to attack): No one provokes me with impunity) is the royal Scottish motto, used historically for the Kingdom of Scotland where it appeared on the Royal Arms of Scotland. ... The Royal Coat of Arms of Scotland, as used before 1603 The Royal Coat of Arms of Scotland was the official coat of arms of the monarchs of Scotland, and were used as the official coat of arms of the Kingdom of Scotland until the Union of the Crowns in...

The standard-issue £2 coin carries the edge inscription STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS. Commemorative issues have an edge inscription relevant to the subject matter. The metaphor of dwarfs standing on the shoulders of giants can be traced back to Lucan,[cannot be traced to this source. ...

Specifications

* 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, 1968 and 1969 respectively. For the pre-decimal British one penny coin, see British One Penny coin (pre-decimal). ... 1971 coin featuring portrait by Arnold Machin 1997 coin featuring portrait by Raphael Maklouf 2000 coin featuring portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley The British decimal Two Pence (2p) coin was issued by the Royal Mint on 15 February 1971, the day the British currency was decimalised. ... The British decimal Five Pence (5p) coin was issued in 1968 in preparation for the forthcoming decimalisation of the coinage. ... The British decimal Ten Pence (10p) coin was issued in 1968 in preparation for the forthcoming decimalisation of the coinage. ... The British decimal Twenty Pence (20p) coin was issued in June 1982 to fill in the obvious gap between the Ten Pence and Fifty Pence coins; it rapidly gained acceptance and very large numbers now circulate [1]. The coin is minted from an alloy of 84% copper and 16% nickel... The commemorative British decimal Twenty-Five Pence (25p) coin was issued in four designs between 1972 and 1981. ... The British decimal fifty pence (50p) coin – often pronounced fifty pee – was issued on October 14, 1969 in the run-up to decimalisation to replace the ten shilling note. ... The circulating British one pound (£1) coin is minted from a nickel-brass alloy of approximately 70% copper, 24. ... // Obverse of the commemorative £2 coin The British commemorative two pound (£2) coin was minted from the same composition as the £1 coin, i. ... The commemorative Five Pounds (£5) coin is minted in cupro-nickel, an alloy of approximately 75% copper, and 25% nickel, although special versions are also minted in silver and/or gold. ...

With their high copper content, the pre-1992 1p and 2p coins would be worth more if melted down than their face value (as of February 2007).^{[citation needed]} To do this, however, would be illegal, and they would need to be melted in huge quantities to achieve significant gain.

Non-circulating coins

Maundy money

Maundy money is a ceremonial coinage traditionally given to the poor, and nowadays awarded annually to deserving senior citizens. There are Maundy coins in denominations of one, two, three and four pence. They bear dates from 1822 to the present and are minted in very small quantities. Though they are legal tender in the UK, they are never encountered in circulation. The pre-decimal Maundy pieces have the same legal tender status and value as post-decimal ones, and effectively increased in face value by 140% upon decimalisation. Their numismatic value is, of course, much greater. Maundy Money is a special British coinage given to deserving poor people in a religious ceremony performed by Anglicans on Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter. ...

Bullion coinage

The traditional bullion coin issued by Britain is the gold sovereign, formerly a circulating coin with a face value of one pound. The Royal Mint continues to produce gold sovereigns and half sovereigns, with 2008 list prices of, respectively, £215 and £110.^[6] Three Gold Sovereigns with a Krugerrand A Gold Sovereign is a British gold coin, first issued in 1489 for Henry VII, generally with a value of one pound sterling. ... 1915 half sovereign: reverse The half sovereign was first introduced in 1544 under Henry VIII. It was a gold coin valued at ten shillings. ...

Since 1987 a series of bullion coins, the Britannia, has been issued, containing one troy ounce, half ounce, quarter ounce, and one-tenth ounce of fine gold at a millesimal fineness of 917 (22 carat) and with face values of £100, £50, £25, and £10. Britannia Gold Bullion coin, 1988 The Britannia is a British gold bullion coin issued since 1987, weighing one troy ounce and with a face value of 100 Pounds. ... Troy ounce is a traditional unit of gold weight. ... Millesimal fineness is a system of denoting the purity of platinum, gold and silver alloys by parts per thousand of pure metal in the alloy. ...

Since 1997 silver bullion coins have also been produced under the name “Britannias”. The alloy used is Britannia silver (millesimal fineness 958). The silver coins are available in 1 ounce, ¹⁄₂ ounce, ¹⁄₄ ounce, and ¹⁄₁₀ ounce sizes. Britannia silver is an alloy of silver containing 95. ...

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.

25p and £5 coins

Although these coins are in practice very rarely found in circulation, they are for convenience described with the circulating coins, above.

Production

All UK coins are produced by the Royal Mint, whose history stretches back over 1100 years.^[7] For many centuries production took place in London, initially at the Tower of London, and then at premises nearby in Tower Hill. In the 1970s production was transferred to Llantrisant in South Wales.^[8] The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see Tower of London (disambiguation) Her Majestys Royal Palace and Fortress The Tower of London, more commonly known as the Tower of London (and historically simply as The Tower), is an historic monument in central London, England on the north bank of the River Thames. ... Tower Hill is an elevated spot outside the Tower of London and just outside the limits of the City of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. ... Llantrisant is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taff, traditional county of Glamorgan, south Wales, lying on the River Ely and the River Clun. ...

Coins were originally hand-hammered. The first milled (that is, machine-made) coins were produced during the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603) and periodically during the subsequent reigns of James I and Charles I, but there was initially opposition to mechanisation from the moneyers who ensured that most coins continued to be produced by hammering. All British coins produced since 1662 have been milled. Elizabeth I redirects here. ... James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scots as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old, succeeding his mother Mary... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. ...

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 thirteenth century. Assaying is now done by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths on behalf of HM Treasury. The Trial of the Pyx is the procedure in the United Kingdom for ensuring that newly-minted coins conform to required standards. ... The third and present Goldsmiths Hall in the second half of the 19th century The second Goldsmiths Hall c. ... The new eastern entrance to HM Treasury HM Treasury, in full Her Majestys Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the UK Governments financial and economic policy. ...

As of March 2007, the total value of coinage in circulation is estimated at three and a half billion pounds, of which the £1 and £2 coins account for over two billion pounds.^[9] The 1p and 2p coins from 1971 are the oldest standard-issue coins still in circulation.

Regional issues

The same coinage is used across all constituent parts of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland). Unlike banknotes, local issues of coins are not produced in these regions. (Historically Scotland and England had separate coinage; the last Scottish coins were struck in 1709, shortly after union with England.^[10] For information about the history of Irish coinage see Irish coins.) The design of the modern pound coin, which changes annually, represents each of the regions in rotation. For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ... This article is about the country. ... Northern Ireland (Irish: , Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a constituent country of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... The first coins in Scotland appear to have been introduced by the Romans, but it was at least the 19th century before a currency economy took hold of most of the country (the Highland Clearances have been part explained by the transition from barter to a cash economy). ... The Acts of Union were a pair of Acts of Parliament passed in 1706 and 1707 (taking effect on 1 May 1707) by, respectively, the Parliament of England and the Parliament of Scotland. ... The coinage of Ireland cover coins issued under a variety of local and national rulers, the Kingdom of Ireland, and the early years of Irelands membership of the United Kingdom, as well as those issued by the foreunner of the Republic of Ireland since 1928, the Irish Free State. ...

Outside the United Kingdom, the British Crown dependencies, consisting of the Isle of Man and the Channel Island bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey, use the pound sterling as their currencies. However, they produce their own local issues of coinage, in the same denominations and to the same specifications as the UK, but with different designs. The island of Alderney also produces occasional commemorative coins. See Coins of the Jersey pound, Coins of the Guernsey pound, Coins of the Manx pound and Alderney pound for details. The pound sterling is also the official currency of the British overseas territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands,^[11] British Antarctic Territory^[12] and British Indian Ocean Territory.^[13] South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands produces occasional special collectors' sets of coins.^[14] Crown dependencies are possessions of the British Crown, as opposed to overseas territories or colonies. ... This article is about the British dependencies. ... A bailiwick is the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff. ... Capital St Anne Status Part of Guernsey, Crown dependency of the UK Official language(s) English Head of Government Sir Norman Browse Population 2,400 Currency Pound sterling (GBP). ... The British Crown Dependency of Jersey has its own currency, the Jersey pound, which is linked to the Pound Sterling. ... The British Crown Dependency of the Bailiwick of Guernsey has its own currency, the Guernsey pound, which is linked to the Pound Sterling. ... The Government of the Isle of Man mints its own Pound sterling coins. ... The pound is the currency used in Guernsey. ... Location of the British Overseas Territories The British Overseas Territories are fourteen[1] territories which the United Kingdom considers to be under its sovereignty, but not as part of the United Kingdom itself. ... Motto Leo Terram Propriam Protegat(Latin) Let the Lion protect his own land or May the Lion protect his own land Anthem God Save the Queen Capital Grytviken (King Edward Point) Official languages English Government British overseas territory  -  Head of State Queen Elizabeth II  -  Commissioner Alan Huckle Area  -  Total 3... Motto: Research and Discovery Anthem: God Save the Queen Status British overseas territory Official language(s) - Commissioner Tony Crombie Administrator Michael Richardson Area 1,395,000 km² Population c. ...

The currencies of the British overseas territories of Gibraltar, The Falkland Islands and Saint Helena — namely the Gibraltar pound, Falkland Islands pound and Saint Helena pound — are pegged one-to-one to the pound sterling but are technically separate currencies. These territories issue their own coinage, again with the same denominations and specifications as the UK coinage but with local designs. See Coins of the Gibraltar pound, Coins of the Falkland Islands pound and Coins of the Saint Helena pound. The other British overseas territories do not use the pound as their official currency. Location of the British Overseas Territories The British Overseas Territories are fourteen[1] territories which the United Kingdom considers to be under its sovereignty, but not as part of the United Kingdom itself. ... ISO 4217 code: GIP Symbol: £ 1/100th unit: penny Introduced in: 1927 Exchange Rates May 2006 USD exchange: 0. ... ISO 4217 Code FKP User(s) Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Inflation 3. ... Front and back of a St Helena £5 note. ... The British overseas territory of the Falkland Islands has its own currency, the Falkland pound, which is linked to the Pound Sterling. ... The British overseas territory of St Helena and Ascension have their own currency, the Saint Helenian pound, which is linked to the Pound Sterling. ...

Coins from the British dependencies and territories that use the pound as their currency are sometimes found in change in other jurisdictions. Strictly they are not legal tender in the United Kingdom and tend not to be accepted by UK traders and some banks. 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.

Pre-decimal coinage

Crown, 1953

Half crown, 1953

Shilling, 1956, showing English and Scottish reverses

Sixpence, 1966

Threepence, 1953

Penny, 1967

Farthing, 1948

For further information about the history of pre-decimal coinage, see Pound sterling. See also Decimal Day.

British Crown File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... British Crown File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... British Shilling Incorporates 76-904. ... British Shilling Incorporates 76-904. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image from Mike Metras, Somonauk, IL of an English penny from 1967 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image from Mike Metras, Somonauk, IL of an English penny from 1967 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Reverse(picture side) of a British Farthing from 1948, by me File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Reverse(picture side) of a British Farthing from 1948, by me File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... GBP redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

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, shillings and pence, where: This article is about coinage. ... Above: A variety of coins considered to be lower-value, including an Irish 2p piece and many US pennies. ...

• £1 = 20 shillings (20s).
• 1 shilling = 12 pence (12d).

Thus: £1 = 240 pence. 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 (half-farthing, third-farthing, and quarter-farthing coins were actually minted in the late 1800s, but circulated only in certain British colonies and not in the UK itself).

Using the example of five shillings and sixpence, the standard ways of writing shillings and pence were: // Invention of the Jacquard loom in 1801. ...

• 5s 6d
• 5/6 (see below for the / mark)
• 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 denarius, and the abbreviation for the shilling, s, from the Roman solidus. The shilling was also denoted by the slash symbol, also called a solidus for this reason. The symbol "£", for the pound itself, is derived from the first letter of the Latin word for pound, libra.^[15] First row : c. ... Julian solidus, ca. ... A solidus, oblique or slash, /, is a punctuation mark. ... The symbol £ represents the pound currency which Britain uses. ... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ...

A similar pre-decimal system operated in France, also based on the Roman currency, consisting of the livre (L) sol (s) and denier (d). Until 1816 the same system was used in the Netherlands, consisting of the gulden (f) stuiver and duit. The main Roman currency during most of the Roman Republic and the western half of the Roman Empire consisted of coins including the aureus (gold), the denarius (silver), the sestertius (bronze), the dupondius (bronze), and the as (copper). ... The livre tournois (or Tournoise pound) was a currency used in France, named after the town of Tours, in which it was minted. ... Guilder is the English translation of gulden, (old) Dutch for golden. The gulden originated as a gold coin (hence the name) but has been a common name for a silver or base metal coin for some centuries. ... The stuiver was a coin used in the Netherlands until the Napoleonic Wars. ...

Denominations

For an extensive list of historical pre-decimal coin denominations, see List of British bank notes and coins.

In the years just prior to decimalisation, the circulating British coins were: // List of British bank notes and coins, with commonly used terms. ...

• Half crown (2/6)
• Florin or two shillings (2/-)
• Shilling (1/-)
• Sixpence (6d)
• Threepence (3d) (usually pronounced "throopence", "thruppence" or similar)
• Penny (1d)
• Halfpenny (½d) (usually pronounced HAY-p'nee)

The farthing (¼d) had been withdrawn in 1960. The crown (5/-) was issued periodically as a commemorative coin but was rarely found in circulation. Half-Crown coin of Oliver Cromwell, 1658 The half-crown was a denomination of British money worth two shillings and sixpence, being one-eighth of a pound. ... The nineteenth and twentieth century Florin or Two Shillings coin should not be confused with the medieval gold Florin, which was worth six shillings. ... This article is about coinage. ... Obverses of the 1787 and 1818 sixpence depicting George III. The sixpence, known colloquially as the tanner, was a British pre-decimal coin, worth, as the name indicates, six pence. ... The threepence, was a denomination of currency, used by various jurisdictions in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, until decimalisation of the pound sterling and Irish pound in 1971. ... For silver pennies produced after 1820 see Maundy money. ... British halfpenny, 1957 It was long considered that the first halfpenny coins were produced in the reign of King Edward I (1272–1307), with earlier requirements for small change being provided by cut coinage; that is, pennies cut into halves or quarters, usually along the cross which formed a prominent... A farthing (meaning fourth part) was a British coin worth one quarter of a penny. ... Crown reverse, 1953 and 1960. ...

The crown, half crown, shilling and sixpence were cupro-nickel 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). The others were withdrawn almost immediately. The use of florins and shillings as legal tender in this way ended in 1990 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 worth 5p instead of 12d. The pre-decimalisation sixpence, also known as a sixpenny bit or sixpenny piece, was rated at 2½p but was demonetised in 1980. This article is about coinage. ... The nineteenth and twentieth century Florin or Two Shillings coin should not be confused with the medieval gold Florin, which was worth six shillings. ... Legal tender or forced tender is payment that cannot be refused in settlement of a debt denominated in the same currency by virtue of law. ...

Slang

Some pre-decimalisation coins or denominations became commonly known by slang terms, perhaps the most well known being bob for a shilling, and quid for a pound. A farthing was a mag, a silver threepence was a joey and the later nickel-brass threepence was called a threepenny bit (pronounced /θrʌpni/, /θrʊpni/ or /θrɛpni/ bit); a sixpence was a tanner , the two-shilling coin or florin was a two-bob bit, and the two shillings and sixpence coin or half-crown was a half dollar. Quid remains as popular slang for one or more pounds to this day in Britain in the form "a quid" and then "two quid", etc. Bob may refer to: A diminutive of Robert Bob (physics), the weight at the end of a pendulum Bob (song), a song by Weird Al Yankovic from Poodle Hat Bob (Red Hot Chili Peppers Song), a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers from the album One Hot Minute J... Quid has several meanings: A small, circular item similar to a dollar; for example, sand dollars Slang (British) for one Pound Sterling (£). The Irish pound was also referred to by this name. ... Wren design Farthing from 1948 A farthing (meaning fourth part) was a British coin worth one quarter of a penny. ... The threepence, pronounced thruppence, was a denomination of currency, used by various jurisdictions in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, until decimalisation of the pound sterling and Irish pound. ... The threepence, pronounced thruppence, was a denomination of currency, used by various jurisdictions in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, until decimalisation of the pound sterling and Irish pound. ... The nineteenth and twentieth century Florin or Two Shillings coin should not be confused with the medieval gold Florin, which was worth six shillings. ... Half-Crown coin of Oliver Cromwell, 1658 The half-crown was a denomination of British money worth two shillings and sixpence, being one-eighth of a pound. ... This article is about the type of currency, for the U.S. Dollar see United States dollar. ...

Monarch's head

All modern coins feature a profile of the current monarch's head. The direction in which they face changes with each successive monarch, a pattern that began with the Stuarts, as shown in the table below: For other uses, see Monarch (disambiguation). ... The House of Stuart or Stewart was a Scottish, and then British, Royal House of Breton origin. ...

For the Tudors and pre-Restoration Stuarts, both left and right-facing portrait images were minted within the reign of a single monarch (left-facing images were more common). Medieval portrait images tended to be full face. James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scots as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old, succeeding his mother Mary... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. ... Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 – 3 September 1658) was an English military and political leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland. ... Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. ... James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701)[2] was King of England, King of Scots,[1] and King of Ireland from 6 February 1685 to 11 December 1688. ... William III (14 November 1650 – 8 March 1702) was the Prince of Orange from his birth, Stadtholder of the main provinces of the Dutch Republic from 28 June 1672, King of England and King of Ireland from 13 February 1689, and King of Scots (under the name William II) from... Mary II (30 April 1662–28 December 1694) reigned as Queen of England and Ireland from 13 February 1689, and as Queen of Scots (as Mary II of Scotland) from 11 April 1689 until her death. ... William III (14 November 1650 – 8 March 1702) was the Prince of Orange from his birth, Stadtholder of the main provinces of the Dutch Republic from 28 June 1672, King of England and King of Ireland from 13 February 1689, and King of Scots (under the name William II) from... Anne (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714) became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702, succeeding William III of England and II of Scotland. ... George I (George Louis; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727)[1] was King of Great Britain and Ireland, from 1 August 1714 until his death. ... George II (George Augustus; 10 November 1683 – 25 October 1760) was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) and Archtreasurer and Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death. ... George III redirects here. ... George IV redirects here. ... William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death. ... Queen Victoria redirects here. ... Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death on 6 May 1910. ... George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. ... Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; later The Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972) was King of Great Britain, Ireland, the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India from the death of his father, George V (1910–36), on 20... George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 11 December 1936 until his death. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ...

There was a small quirk in this alternating pattern when Edward VIII ascended to the throne. George V coins had him facing the left, as did Edward VIII, his successor. This was because Edward thought that to be his best side, breaking with tradition (many saw this as portent of a bad reign^{[citation needed]}). However, none of these coins were put into general circulation before Edward abdicated. When George VI came to the throne, he had his coins struck with him facing the left, as if Edward's coins had faced the right (as they should have done in theory). This means that in a timeline of coins used in Britain, George V and VI's coins face to the left, despite the fact they follow directly chronologically. Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; later The Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972) was King of Great Britain, Ireland, the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India from the death of his father, George V (1910–36), on 20... George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. ... George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 11 December 1936 until his death. ...

Silver content

From the time of Charlemagne until the 12th century, the silver currency of England was made from the highest purity silver available. Unfortunately there were drawbacks to minting currency of fine silver, notably the level of wear it suffered, and the ease with which coins could be "clipped", or trimmed, by those dealing in the currency. Charlemagne (left) and Pippin the Hunchback. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Atomic mass 107. ... Coins showing milled (left) and engraved (right) edges, anti-clipping measures Coin clipping is the act of shaving off a small portion of the precious metal for profit. ...

In the 12th century a new standard for English coinage was established by Henry II — the Sterling Silver standard of 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. This was a harder-wearing alloy, yet it was still a rather high grade of silver. It went some way towards discouraging the practice of "clipping", though this practice was further discouraged and largely eliminated with the introduction of the milled edge we see on coins today. Henry II of England (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189) ruled as King of England (1154–1189), Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. ... Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92. ...

The coinage reform of 1816 set up a weight/value ratio and physical sizes for silver coins.

In 1920, the silver content of all British coins was reduced from 92.5% to 50%, with a portion of the remainder consisting of manganese, which caused the coins to tarnish to a very dark colour after they had been in circulation for a significant period. Silver was eliminated altogether in 1947, except for Maundy coinage, which returned to the pre-1920 92.5% silver composition. Year 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920) of the Gregorian calendar. ... General Name, symbol, number manganese, Mn, 25 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 7, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Standard atomic weight 54. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Maundy Money is a special British coinage given to deserving poor people in a religious ceremony performed by Anglicans on Maundy Thursday, the Thursday before Easter. ...

The 1816 weight/value ratio and size system survived the debasement of silver in 1920, and the adoption of token coins of cupro-nickel 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 system was also widely adopted throughout the British Empire, including Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, South Africa, Rhodesia, etc. The UK finally abandoned it in the 1990s when smaller, more convenient, "silver" coins were introduced. Cupronickel is an alloy of copper, nickel and strengthening impurities, such as iron and manganese. ...

Origins of the penny

Main article: History of the English penny

The English penny first appeared in Anglo-Saxon times, as a silver coin. It was derived from another silver coin, the sceat, of 20 troy grains weight, which was in general circulation in Europe during the Middle Ages. The weight of the English penny was fixed at 22.5 troy grains (about 1.46 grams) by Offa of Mercia, an 8th century contemporary of Charlemagne. The coin's designated value, however, was that of 24 troy grains of silver (one pennyweight, or ¹⁄₂₄₀ of a troy pound, or about 1.56 grams), with the difference being a premium attached by virtue of the minting into coins. Thus 240 pennyweights made one troy pound of silver in weight, and the monetary value of 240 pennies also became known as a "pound". (240 actual pennies, however, weighed only 5400 troy grains, known as tower pound, a unit used only by mints. The tower pound was abolished in the 16th century.) The silver penny remained the primary unit of coinage for about 500 years. For silver pennies produced after 1820 see Maundy money The silver penny was introduced to England around the year 785 by King Offa of Mercia, in the English midlands. ... The History of Anglo-Saxon England covers the history of early medieval England from the end of Roman Britain and the establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th century until the Conquest by the Normans in 1066. ... This article is about the chemical element. ... Sceats were small silver coins used for trade in Anglo-Saxon times. ... A grain is a unit of mass equal to 0. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ... Offa (died July 26/29, 796) was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death. ... (7th century — 8th century — 9th century — other centuries) Events The Iberian peninsula is taken by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost 8 centuries of Muslim presence there. ... Charlemagne (left) and Pippin the Hunchback. ... A pennyweight (dwt) is an unit of mass which is the same as 24 grains, 1/240th of a troy pound, 1/20th of a troy ounce, approximately 0. ... Troy ounce is a traditional unit of gold weight. ... A Tower pound was a unit of weight equal to 5400 grains (just over 3/4 of an ordinary (avoirdupois) pound). ...

The purity of 92.5% silver (i.e., sterling silver) was instituted by Henry II in 1158 with the "Tealby Penny"—a hammered coin. Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92. ... Henry II of England (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189) ruled as King of England (1154–1189), Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. ... Events January 11 - Vladislav II becomes King of Bohemia End of the formal reign of Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan, also the beginning of his cloistered rule, which will last to his death in 1192. ... Hammered coinage describes the commonest form of coins produced since the invention of coins in the first millennium BC until the early modern period of ca. ...

Over the years the penny was gradually debased until by the 16th century it contained about a third the silver content of a proper troy 24 grain pennyweight.

The medieval penny would have been the equivalent of around 1s 6d in value in 1915. British government sources suggest that prices have risen over 61-fold since 1914, so a medieval sterling silver penny might have the equivalent purchasing power of around £4.50 today, and a farthing (a quarter penny) would have the value of slightly more than today's pound (about £1.125).

Inscriptions

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. Offa (died July 26/29, 796) was the King of Mercia from 757 until his death. ...

More recent legends include the following, in unabbreviated form:

• HENRICUS VII DEI GRATIA REX ANGLIAE & FRANCIAE "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 ANGLIAE & FRANCIAE "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 ANGLIAE FRANCIAE & HIBERNIAE REX "Henry VIII by the grace of God, Of England, France and Ireland, King". 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 ANGLIAE FRANCIAE ET HIBERNIAE REGINA "Elizabeth, by the grace of God, of England, France, and Ireland, Queen".

• IACOBUS DEI GRATIA MAGNAE BRITANNIAE FRANCIAE ET HIBERNIAE 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 MAGNAE BRITANNIAE FRANCIAE ET HIBERNIAE REX "Charles, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King".

• OLIVARIUS DEI GRATIA REIPUBLICAE ANGLIAE SCOTIAE HIBERNIAE & CETERORUM PROTECTOR "Oliver, by the grace of God, of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland etc., Protector". Cromwell ruled as a monarch but did not claim the title of king.

• CAROLUS II DEI GRATIA MAGNAE BRITANNIAE FRANCIAE ET HIBERNIAE REX "Charles II, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King".

• IACOBUS II DEI GRATIA MAGNAE BRITANNIAE FRANCIAE ET HIBERNIAE REX "James II, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King".

• GULIELMUS ET MARIA DEI GRATIA MAGNAE BRITANNIAE FRANCIAE ET HIBERNIAE REX ET REGINA "William and 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 MAGNAE BRITANNIAE FRANCIAE ET HIBERNIAE 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 MAGNAE BRITANNIAE FRANCIAE ET HIBERNIAE REGINA "Anne by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Queen".

• GEORGIUS DEI GRATIA MAGNAE BRITANNIAE FRANCIAE ET HIBERNIAE REX FIDEI DEFENSOR BRUNSVICENSIS ET LUNEBURGENSIS DUX SACRI ROMANI IMPERII ARCHITHESAURARIUS ET ELECTOR "George 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." George I added the titles he already possessed as Elector of Hanover. He also added the title "Defender of the Faith", which had been borne by the English kings since Henry VIII, but which had previously only rarely appeared on coins.

• GEORGIUS II DEI GRATIA MAGNAE BRITANNIAE FRANCIAE ET HIBERNIAE 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 MAGNAE BRITANNIAE FRANCIAE ET HIBERNIAE 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." By the Act of Union 1801, Ireland was united with Great Britain into a single kingdom, which is represented on the coinage by the genitive of the Latin Britanniae "Britains" (often abbreviated BRITT), signifying "The United Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland". At the same time the United Kingdom abandoned the traditional claim to France, and the other titles were dropped 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 INDIAE 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 1877.

• EDWARDUS VII DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM OMNIUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR INDIAE 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 INDIAE IMPERATOR "George V, 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 INDIAE 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 abandoned in 1948, after the independence of India and Pakistan.

• ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM OMNIUM REGINA FIDEI DEFENSOR "Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, of all the Britains Queen, Defender of the Faith."

• ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA FIDEI DEFENSOR "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.

The Tudor Rose: a combination of the Red Rose of Lancaster and the White Rose of York Henry VII (January 28, 1457 – April 21, 1509), King of England, Lord of Ireland (August 22, 1485 – April 21, 1509), born Henry Tudor, was the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty. ... Henry VIII redirects here. ... Henry VIII redirects here. ... Philip II (Spanish: ; Portuguese: ) (May 21, 1527 – September 13, 1598) was King of Spain from 1556 until 1598, King of Naples from 1554 until 1598, king consort of England (as husband of Mary I) from 1554 to 1558, Lord of the Seventeen Provinces (holding various titles for the individual territories... Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 6 July 1553 (de facto) or 19 July 1553 (de jure) until her death on 17 November 1558. ... Elizabeth I redirects here. ... James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scots as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old, succeeding his mother Mary... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. ... Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 – 3 September 1658) was an English military and political leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland. ... Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. ... James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701)[2] was King of England, King of Scots,[1] and King of Ireland from 6 February 1685 to 11 December 1688. ... William III (14 November 1650 – 8 March 1702) was the Prince of Orange from his birth, Stadtholder of the main provinces of the Dutch Republic from 28 June 1672, King of England and King of Ireland from 13 February 1689, and King of Scots (under the name William II) from... Mary II (30 April 1662–28 December 1694) reigned as Queen of England and Ireland from 13 February 1689, and as Queen of Scots (as Mary II of Scotland) from 11 April 1689 until her death. ... William III (14 November 1650 – 8 March 1702) was the Prince of Orange from his birth, Stadtholder of the main provinces of the Dutch Republic from 28 June 1672, King of England and King of Ireland from 13 February 1689, and King of Scots (under the name William II) from... Anne (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714) became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702, succeeding William III of England and II of Scotland. ... George I (George Louis; 28 May 1660 – 11 June 1727)[1] was King of Great Britain and Ireland, from 1 August 1714 until his death. ... Brunswick-Lüneburg was an historical state within the Holy Roman Empire. ... This article is about the medieval empire. ... The prince-electors or electoral princes of the Holy Roman Empire — German: Kurfürst (singular) Kurfürsten (plural) — were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Emperors of Germany. ... Capital Hanover Head of State King of Hanover Hanover (German: Hannover) is a historical territory in todays Germany. ... Defenders of the Faith. ... Henry VIII redirects here. ... George II (George Augustus; 10 November 1683 – 25 October 1760) was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) and Archtreasurer and Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death. ... George III redirects here. ... The 1800 Act of Union merged the Kingdom of Ireland and the Kingdom of Great Britain (itself a merger of England and Scotland under the Act of Union 1707) to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 1 January 1801. ... George IV redirects here. ... William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death. ... Queen Victoria redirects here. ... Queen Victoria redirects here. ... New Crowns for Old depicts Disraeli as Abanazer from the pantomime version of Aladdin offering Victoria an Imperial crown in exchange for a Royal one. ... Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death on 6 May 1910. ... George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was the first British monarch belonging to the House of Windsor, which he created from the British branch of the German House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. ... George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 11 December 1936 until his death. ... George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 11 December 1936 until his death. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ...

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 denomiations 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 Henry VII, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I. Possibly refers to Psalms 52:7, Ecce homo qui non posuit Deum adjutorem suum "Behold the man who did not make God his helper".

• 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 James I, signifying his desire to unite the English and Scottish nations. Refers to Ezekiel 37:2 in the Vulgate 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 Psalms 67:1 in the Vulgate Bible.

• PAX QUAERITUR BELLO "Peace is sought by war". Coins of the Protectorate; personal motto of Oliver Cromwell.

• BRITANNIA "Britain". Reign of Charles II to 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.

The Tudor Rose: a combination of the Red Rose of Lancaster and the White Rose of York Henry VII (January 28, 1457 – April 21, 1509), King of England, Lord of Ireland (August 22, 1485 – April 21, 1509), born Henry Tudor, was the first monarch of the Tudor dynasty. ... Henry VIII redirects here. ... Elizabeth I redirects here. ... Philip II (Spanish: ; Portuguese: ) (May 21, 1527 – September 13, 1598) was King of Spain from 1556 until 1598, King of Naples from 1554 until 1598, king consort of England (as husband of Mary I) from 1554 to 1558, Lord of the Seventeen Provinces (holding various titles for the individual territories... Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 6 July 1553 (de facto) or 19 July 1553 (de jure) until her death on 17 November 1558. ... James VI and I (19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scots as James VI, and King of England and King of Ireland as James I. He ruled in Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567, when he was only one year old, succeeding his mother Mary... Ezekiel, , IPA: , God will strengthen, from , chazaq, [ xazaq ], literally to fasten upon, figuratively strong, and , el, [ el ], literally strength, figuratively Almighty. He is a prophet and priest in the Bible who prophesied for 22 years sometime in the 500s BCE while in the form of visions exiled in... The Vulgate Bible is an early 5th century version in Latin, partly revised and partly translated by Jerome on the orders of Pope Damasus I in 382. ... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. ... Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of England, King of Scotland and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. ... For other uses, see English Civil War (disambiguation). ... Psalms (Hebrew: Tehilim, תהילים, or praises) is a book of the Hebrew Bible included in the collected works known as the Writings or Ketuvim. ... The Vulgate Bible is an early 5th century version in Latin, partly revised and partly translated by Jerome on the orders of Pope Damasus I in 382. ... Motto PAX QUÆRITUR BELLO (English: Peace is sought through war) Anthem Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Language(s) English; Irish; Scots Gaelic; Welsh Government Republic Lord Protector  - 1653-1658 Oliver Cromwell  - 1658-1659 Richard Cromwell Legislature Parliament (1st, 2nd, 3rd) History  - Instrument of Government December 16, 1653  - Resignation of... Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 – 3 September 1658) was an English military and political leader best known for his involvement in making England into a republican Commonwealth and for his later role as Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland. ... Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. ... George III redirects here. ... George III redirects here. ... The insignia of a knight of the Order of the Garter. ...

See also

• List of British bank notes and coins
• Royal Mint
• Roman currency
• Mark (money)

// List of British bank notes and coins, with commonly used terms. ... The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. ... The main Roman currency during most of the Roman Republic and the western half of the Roman Empire consisted of coins including the aureus (gold), the denarius (silver), the sestertius (bronze), the dupondius (bronze), and the as (copper). ... The word mark (from an apparently non-Teutonic word found in all Teutonic and Romance languages, and Latinized as marca or marcus) originally expressed a measure of weight only for gold and silver, commonly used throughout western Europe and equivalent to 8 oz (ounces). ...

References

External links

• Coins of England and Great Britain
• British Coin Denominations
• British Coinage from the Royal Mint's website
• Coin Designs — Royal Mint competition designs
• British Coins — catalogue
• British Coins picture Gallery