Penny (British pre-decimal coin)

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The penny of the Kingdom of Great Britain and later of the United Kingdom, was in circulation from the early 18th century until February 1971, Decimal Day.

To express an amount, penny was abbreviated to "d", e.g. 1d, from the Roman denarius.

History

Pre-decimal penny coins continue to be used to adjust the timing of the pendulum of the clock in the Clock Tower of the Palace of Westminster, commonly known as "Big Ben".

In the United States, other than the known uses in numismatics, British Pennies are also used in coin magic, because they are at contrast with the just slightly smaller US half dollar (the half dollar is 30.61 mm in diameter compared to the 31 mm in British Pennies), with their copper sheen compared to the silver in half dollars. Indeed, many routines involve a copper-silver transposition, in which a British Penny and a half dollar change places.

The next coin is the Tuppence.

See also: British coinage

Pennies by period

• The Anglo-Saxons (c. 600–1066)
• The Early Normans and the Anarchy (1066–1154)
• The Plantagenets (1154–1485)
• The Tudors (1485–1603)
• The Stuarts and the Commonwealth (1603–1714)
• The Hanoverians (1714–1901)
• The Twentieth Century Penny (1901–1970)
• Decimal Day, 1971
• Post-decimalisation (1971–present)

Media

Image:Penny EIIR QRI.jpg|Comparison between Elizabeth II's and Victoria's pennies. The dark toning of the Victoria penny is normal for older circulated coins Image:1936 George V penny.jpg|A 1936 George V penny Image:1937 George VI penny.jpg|A 1937 George VI penny. Note the change in design of the reverse with the addition of the lighthouse and with the shield square and not angled

References

• Coincraft's Standard Catalogue English & UK Coins 1066 to Date, Richard Lobel, Coincraft. ISBN 0-9526228-8-2