Penny is. a small bargaining chip of some countries of the world at different periods of history, this is also the name of an old English silver coin, issued by King Offa on the model of denarii, and which became the basis of money circulation throughout England
The United Kingdom is strongly traditional. The rules seem unshakable, the laws are written as if until the end of time. Therefore, it is not surprising that Great Britain clung to the historically established monetary system to the last, different from most states of the twentieth century. A shilling was collected from a dozen pence, and a pound sterling was collected from two dozen shillings. In reality, the situation was even more complicated, since more than a dozen coins with various names functioned, where the largest (guinea) was equal to one thousand and eight of the smallest (farthings). It was difficult for lovers of English novels to understand how a grout differs from a sovereign, and why those who went to Great Britain in the late 60s could not bring a sovereign. The inconvenience of the number system created problems for financiers in the markets, which prompted them to change the number system. Moreover, countries such as Australia and Canada, having retained the portrait of the English queen on the obverse, switched from the pound sterling to the more convenient dollar as a national means of payment. Despite the short period that has passed since "Decimal Day", the British weather catalog has already gained significant thickness and volume.
British penny
February 1971 thinned out the detachment of monetary units, leaving only the pound sterling and its hundred change pence in service. In a number of currencies of the leading countries of the capitalist world, the pound sterling was one of the most significant units, so it is not surprising that the smallest coin was not a penny, but a halfpenny. But inflation also undermines the strongest currencies, so halfpenny is no longer found in the modern coin range. The penny is the smallest of the British coins.
The pedigree of a penny must be traced back to the monetary units that the Germanic tribes brought to the territory of modern Great Britain. Historians argue that the forerunner of singing will be the skete, which industriously performed the role of local money in the seventh century. The birth of the penny occurred in the eighth century, and it gradually became a more popular coin than the skete, which lasted until the early ninth century. The first penny is silver coin. Only centuries later they began to mint it from copper, and later from bronze.
Since 1985, the penny has been the smallest coin in the UK. It should be noted that in the period from 1971 to 1981, the word "NEW" was minted next to the name of the denomination on the coins so that they would not be confused with pre-decimal coins. Of course, the coins were strikingly different in appearance. It is difficult to confuse a pre-reform penny with a diameter of 30.72 millimeters with a new penny that has shrunk one and a half times (20.3 millimeters). The Bank of England considered that a ten-year period was enough for the inhabitants of the United Kingdom to get used to the new money, so since 1982 the word "NEW" has been replaced by the capital value of the face value ("ONE PENNY").
Since 1992, there has been a reduction in the cost of issuing coins, when the monolithic bronze of the penny and twopenny coins was replaced by a copper-plated steel core. In order not to rebuild vending machines that react to weight, the new generation of coins had to be made thicker.
The design of the reverse is symbolically associated with the number "1". There is a lattice of fortress gates topped with a crown. This was the emblem of the first king in the Tudor dynasty, Henry the Seventh. A cardinal change in the design of the reverse of British coins took place in 2008. It was decided to leave unchanged only the largest of the denominations. For the rest, the work of Matthew Dent, who won the competition, was used with an interesting idea, when fragments of the Royal Shield are placed on the reverse. And the owner of a coin range from singing to fifty pence will be able to make an image of this shield from coins.
two pence
If one is a penny, then all other denominations are pence. Although our modern language allows the phrase "one penny", seeing this for a classic is the same as reading "hare", parachute" or "one coffee" brought up by a good Russian teacher. Accordingly, "two pennies" are two coins one at a time. pennies. And if the coin is one - it's already "two pence". The date of birth of the modern version of two pence is February 15, 1971. It was then that the Royal Mint put this coin into circulation, completing the campaign to switch to the decimal system. bronze, but since 1992 it has been a steel coin (93%) covered with copper (7%) Connoisseurs, however, pay attention to the fact of the existence of a bronze coin and later years of issue (in the catalogs for this variety, the letter "a" is added to the main number ), which was issued to form collection sets, which included coins of "PROOF" quality.
There are many things associated with this coin. interesting stories. Let's take a look at the original reverse. What's with the crown of feathers? It turns out that when the denomination was put into circulation, it was planned to mint the coat of arms of Northern Ireland there. But the end of the 60s is an extremely turbulent period for Northern Ireland. Fresh in the memory of Belfast. There are armed clashes. Troops have been brought in, but skeptics are shaking their heads that Northern Ireland will soon leave the United Kingdom. Therefore, at the last moment, a decision was made: on the reverse of two pence to place a diadem decorated with ostrich feathers - the coat of arms of the Prince of Wales. The decision turned out to be clear. In 1972, the government of Northern Ireland was dissolved, and the emblem of Northern Ireland was deprived of official status.
The period of coins with the prefix "NEW" ends in 1981, and only for two pence it is unexpectedly extended until 1983 in a number of catalogs. The fault here is no longer politics, but junctions. In 1983, for the minting of a small part of the circulation, an outdated stamp was mistakenly placed, where the former "NEW" flaunted instead of the prescribed "TWO". UK weather collectors appreciate this mistake, so "NEW PENCE" 1983 are already trading with totals of several thousand pounds.
Note the fact that the packaging of two pence in bank packages is carried out in amounts equal to one pound. But hurry with this package to retail outlets. The plans of fans to upset cashiers by counting change from piggy banks in the UK will be severely overthrown. It turns out that for some denominations, amounts are legally established within which they are a means of payment. For the one penny and two pence coins, this amount is only twenty pence. If numismatists divide the periods of pre-reform coins of the USSR according to the number of ribbons in the coat of arms of the Soviet state, then for the coins of the countries of the Commonwealth of the British Crown, the dividing line is the change in the portrait of the ruling monarch. In Great Britain, the portrait has been changed three times so far. Note that the original version was created by Arnold Machin. From 1985 to 1997, Elizabeth II is depicted according to a portrait by Raphael McLough, and since 1998, the obverse of the coins has been decorated with a portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley. The obverse is the same for all coins of the Commonwealth of the British Crown, which includes such significant countries as Australia and Canada.
Five pence (UK)
And this is the pioneer of monetary reform, the purpose of which was the introduction of the decimal system. It is believed that she came to replace the shilling. There is a sense in this, since both the shilling and the new fivepence make up a twentieth of a pound sterling. The launch of the fivepence into circulation took place on April 23, 1968. Until 1971, these coins had to both saturate the circulation and become familiar, so that the rejection of the shilling did not seem like a national tragedy. Note that the shilling finally left circulation only by 1990. During the "decimal" period, the existence of the fivepence managed to change significantly. It originally weighed 5.65 grams and was 23.59 millimeters in diameter. But as soon as the shilling was gone, the fivepence dwindled to eighteen millimeters in diameter, and thinned to three and a quarter grams. Since 2012, copper-nickel for blanks has given way to nickel-plated steel. Since 2008, the reverse of five pence has become the central fragment of the overall composition. It is on it that there is a common point where all four coats of arms converge.
Ten pence (UK)
Paired with five pence coins of this denomination were the advanced detachments in preparation for the introduction of the decimal system. They also appeared in circulation on April 23, 1968. A tenpence weighing 11.31 grams and 28.5 millimeters in diameter was to take the baton from the florin (two-shilling denomination). The florin itself remained in circulation and existed for almost a quarter of a century, until July 1, 1993. From the same moment, even ten pence change dimensions, having noticeably decreased (weight - 6.5 grams and diameter - 24.5 millimeters). Both five and ten pence of the old sizes are withdrawn from circulation along with shillings and florins. A gigantic one and a half billion circulation, minted in 1992, was intended to replace the coins of the previous sample. However, with the date "1992" there are coins of both types. Nickel silver, familiar to us from the pre-reform USSR, was the material for blanks until 2012. Since January 2012, ten cents have been issued in nickel-plated steel. Modern ten pence are similar in size to American quarters.
Twenty pence (UK)
A decade of circulation of new coins has shown the inconvenience of an empty gap between denominations of ten and fifty cents. To fill it is the calling of the new denomination put into circulation on June 9, 1982. Copper-nickel blanks differ from other denominations in the form of an increased copper content (84% versus 75%). The coin borrowed the shape from the "fifty dollars" - the same Reuleaux heptagon. This form is designed to separate it by touch from other denominations (it cannot be confused with a fifty pence because of the difference in dimensions).
2008 gave numismatists interesting crossroads. Since this year, fragments of the English and Scottish lions have been minted on the reverse. But the fact is that on the coins of the previous issue, the minting date was located on the reverse, while the new design does not imply this. Date safely moves to the obverse. But chance interferes with the matter: an insignificant part of the circulation is minted with an old-style stamp. As a result The date is missing on both the reverse and the obverse.. Experts estimate that the circulation of the mix-ups was less than a quarter of a million. And they all went into circulation. So catching an undated twentypence would be a big hit.
Note that in the "decimal" period there was also a denomination twenty five new pence. But it was the minting of exclusively commemorative coins in 1972, 1977, 1980 and 1981. Since 1982, the task of this denomination was transferred to the twentypence.
Fifty pence (UK)
On October 14, 1969, a fifty-pence coin was put into circulation to help the five- and tenpence denominations. This is the first coin to have the shape of a Reuleaux heptagon. AT mathematical description of this heptagon we can read the following properties of it: "The sides are not straight, but curved so that the center of curvature is at the opposite vertex of the coin." Numismatists explain not so intricately: "The coin does not have a fixed radius from any point, but it has a fixed diameter and a minimum size for the edge of the coin." The original reverse of the coin featured a portrait of a proudly seated woman with a lion peeking out from behind. This is Britain - an analogue of the American Lady Liberty and the French Marianne. In fact, this is the only surviving portrait of Britain on a weather card after the transition to the decimal system. But the work of Christopher Ironside had to become a thing of the past. Since 2008, according to the design of Matthew Dent, the lower part of the Royal Shield has been minted on the reverse.
One pound sterling
It seemed that the era in which the pound sterling would appear not as a banknote, but as a coin, would never come. But time changes everything. Inflation undermined the British pound, and by the beginning of the eighties it became clear that it was more profitable to present this denomination in circulation as a coin. The launch of the minting of the pound was announced in the summer of 1981. Really everyday coins appeared on April 21, 1983. A solid denomination differed sharply from pence in its impressive weight (only half a gram was not enough to ten) and color (yellow tint is provided by a fourth share of zinc in the total alloy of the coin). The obverse, as usual, occupies a portrait of the queen. The reverse is extremely difficult to describe, since it is not a constant. Every year it changes. If in the first year of issue the state emblem flaunted there, then after the reverse they presented symbols that personified the constituent parts of the United Kingdom. First, flowers were involved, then heraldry, followed by famous bridges, and after that - the emblems of the capitals. However, the plant theme was resumed. As conceived by Matthew Dent since 2008, it is on the reverse of the pound sterling that the Royal coat of arms is placed in its entirety.
But then came the year 2017, and the Royal Mint transformed the round pound coins into a silver-gold dodecahedron, updating the portrait of the Queen and replacing the design on the back. New trends are primarily aimed at protecting against fakes, which already account for three percent of the total number of coins of this denomination in circulation. The updated pound sterling will become the most secure coin in the world. The reverse includes the union of the four parts of the British Empire in the form of four plants on one field. This version won the competition, and the competition was won by David Pierce, who by that time was only fifteen. "The Mint produces four thousand coins per minute," the British media are enthusiastically broadcasting. old pound round shape very soon lose the status of a means of payment and leave the turnover.
Two pounds sterling
The denomination of two pounds found the beginning of a glorious journey in three forms of a commemorative coin. At the same time, two-pound coins with a diameter of 28.4 millimeters and a weight of 15.98 grams were issued from an alloy of nickel and brass, from 925 silver and 917 gold. Looking at the thistle, it is difficult to understand why this coin is included in the "Sport" category. It turns out this is not a bug. Before us is not just a symbol of one of the parts of the United Kingdom, but the emblem of the XII Commonwealth Games, which were held in Scotland in 1986.
The researchers observed the circulation of this denomination. Based on the results of their work, it was decided, apart from commemorative coins enter and regular of the same denomination. However, the regular version had a significant difference - it became the first representative of the bimetal in the UK. The outer ring consists of a triple alloy (76% copper, 20% zinc, and 4% nickel). The inner ring became cupronickel. The coin is heavy - twelve grams with a diameter of 28.4 millimeters. The launch of the coin into circulation took place on June 15, 1998. An interesting fact is that coins with the date "1997" came into circulation, on which Elizabeth II was performed by Raphael McLough. The 1998 and later coins have a portrait of the Queen by Ian Rank-Broadley.
Its creator Bruce Rushin explained the complex reverse design as follows: we see the transition from the Iron Age, which symbolizes the outer ring, to the age of the Internet and new technologies. If you look closely, we see in the center the coordinated work of nineteen gear rings. According to the laws of mechanics, such a device could not function due to an odd number of gears. But this, apparently, did not bother Bruce Rushin at all. Between the gears and the outer ring, we observe a pattern created by fragments of printed circuit boards.
In circulation, we can also see five-pound coins. But they already belong to the "commemorative" category, so we will talk about them in the following articles.
Latest auction prices for coins in Russian rubles
| A photo | Description of the coin | G | VG | F | VF | XF | AU | UNC | proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 pound (pound) 2016 UK round | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1 pound (pound) 2016 new UK new (12-coal), no sign | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 pounds (pounds) 2001 UK from 244 to 287 rubles. | - | - | - | - | 244 | - | 287 | - | |
| 2 pounds (pounds) 1997 UK from 276 to 323 rubles. | - | - | - | - | 276 | - | 323 | - |
| 2 pounds (pounds) 1998 UK from 161 to 1,155 rubles. | - | - | - | 203 | 161 | 195 | 373 | 1 155 | |
a small bargaining chip of some countries of the world at different periods of history, also an old English silver coin, issued by King Offa on the model of denarii, and which became the basis of money circulation throughout England, also has this name
Information about pennies, varieties of pennies, including the British penny, Scottish penny, Irish penny, Australian penny and Finnish penny, the history of coins in different countries, the appearance and modification of the penny over time
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Penny is, definition
Penny is small change currency unit, whose name comes from the Old Germanic language. The most famous British penny, first minted in the 8th century and has undergone a number of changes since then. The Scottish and Irish pennies are also known, the Australian, Finnish and Estonian pennies are less famous. Also, "pennies" in the United States are colloquially called one-cent coins.
Penny is monetary unit of many countries and territories, in different time were part of the British Empire, as well as Finland and Estonia. The most famous British penny. In the days of circulation, the farthing was worth a quarter of a penny.
Penny is British coin. The name of the penny (on the old English language- pennige) has a common root with the German word "pfennig".
Penny is English coin, minted from the 11th century. silver, copper, bronze.
Penny 1927
Penny is a modern token coin of Great Britain, which is one hundredth of a pound sterling.
Penny is change coin of Finland" equal to one hundredth of a Finnish mark.
Penny 1916
Penny is British currency, equal to one hundredth of a pound sterling (pound).
Penny is The monetary unit of the Republic of Ireland, equal to one hundredth of the Irish pound (punt).
Penny 1913
Penny is an English silver and eventually copper coin, first issued by King Offa after a Carolingian pattern.
Penny is old english silver coin. From con. 17th century pennies were minted from copper, from 1860 - from bronze.
penny coin
Penny is British coin. 1 penny = 1/100 pounds sterling (until February 1971 1p = 1/240 pounds sterling, or 1/12 shilling).
Penny is a bargaining chip in Finland, equal to 1/100 of the Finnish mark.
Sixpence 1887
Penny (penny) is 1/12 shilling or 1/240 pound. The name "penny" came from the Old German language, in which this word (pfennig, pfennig, penge) meant "coin", "money". For a long time, the silver penny was the most popular currency in England. Subsequently, pennies began to be made from copper and bronze.
British penny - English, later British coin. Until February 1971, the penny was equal to 1⁄12 shillings or 1⁄240 pounds sterling, from 1971 to the present = 1⁄100 pounds sterling.
The appearance of the English penny VIII century
Penny (penny) - an English coin, first minted from silver by King Offa of Mercia (757 - 796) on the model of Carolingian denarii ("d" - the first letter denarius - is the designation of a penny). The obverse of the coin is a bust portrait of the king, the reverse is a cross with decorations. The original diameter was approx. 17 mm, under Kenwulf (796 - 822) - 21 mm.
Offa, king of Mercia (in what is now central England), coined a silver coin called a penny (like the German "pfennig", derived from some ancient root meaning "gift" or "sign"). Subsequently, the penny became the basis of currency throughout England, and King Offa's coin can thus be considered the forerunner of the current British pound.
King Offa's penny weighed 22.5 grains (barleycorn). It was based on the principle previously tested by the king of the Franks, Pepin the Short: he put into circulation "new denarii" (named after the Roman silver coin), and decided that 240 coins should be made from one pound of silver. However, the Frankish and English pounds were somewhat different, so the coins were not the same. King Offa's penny was minted with his name.
It was the first silver coin in Britain. It was so convenient that even during the life of Offa, other English kingdoms (East Anglia, Kent, Wessex) followed his example and introduced similar coins.
Subsequently, Offa reformed the money circulation twice more, introducing coins of greater weight. Some of them minted his portrait, and also (probably, under the impression of Byzantine coins with Queen Irina) a portrait of his wife. Offa's gold coins are also known, including copies of Arab coins apparently made for international trade.
Under Edgar (957 - 975), minting of the English penny began at 35 mints; under his successor Ethelred (979 - 1016), 11 types of coins were minted at 80 mints, but all with a bust portrait of the king and attributes of the kingdom on the obverse and with a cross on the reverse. These coins were minted in large quantities and were distributed throughout Europe and even in Russia. The weight of the coin ranged from 1.02 grams to 1.45 grams (20 grains - 22.5 grains). If necessary, the coin was simply cut into pieces, receiving a halfpenny and a quarterpenny. In 1257, the penny was issued from gold.
British penny before the 15th century
Until the conquest of England by the Normans (1066) and the first time after it, the quality of the penny remained almost unchanged. However, over time, the quality of the coins began to deteriorate (due to damage to the coins and non-compliance with the general standard by the coin masters).
A particularly strong deterioration in the quality of the penny occurred during the reign of Henry II and during the time of King Stephen. In 1180, a new type of penny (the so-called "short cross penny") had to be introduced with a greater weight and silver content.
British penny
In 1180, under Henry II (1154 - 1189), pennies were minted, called "sterling" and given the name pound sterling at the end of the 14th century. Sterling kept the image (bust portrait of the king with a scepter in his hand and a two-line cross with 4 points in the corners) and a sample until 1248. In 1248, the cross on the reverse was changed: it became longer and had 3 dots in the corners; in 1279, the cross was also changed to a simple wide one. The sterling test remained unchanged (~925th), but the weight was constantly decreasing. Under Henry it was 1.36 g, under Edward III - 1.17 g, under Edward IV - 0.97 - 0.78 g and under Henry VII - 0.548 g.
In 1344 the penny was reduced from over 20 grains to 18 grains, in 1412 to 15 grains, and in 1464 was further reduced to 12 grains.
For a long time, the penny remained the only coin of England. In the 13th century in England, new change coins more and less than a penny were introduced into use: a groat (4 pence), a halfpenny and a farthing (1/4 penny).
By the XIV century, a harmonious monetary system was created in England:
1 pound sterling = 20 shillings (until the 16th century - only a unit of account) = 60 groats (120 half groats) = 240 pence (= 480 halfpenny) = 960 farthings.
English penny in the XV-XVIII centuries
The problems associated with the military spending of England (the Hundred Years War) and the leakage of full-weight English coins to the continent contributed to the reduction in weight and quality of pennies and other small change.
In 1412, the weight of the penny was reduced; in 1464, Edward IV reduced the silver content of coins by 20%: the weight of the penny decreased from 15 grains (1 g) to 12 grains (0.8 g).
In 1528, Henry VIII introduced a new monetary standard: instead of the purely English Tower pound (about 350 g), the international Troy pound (373.242 g) was introduced. Thus, the nominal weight of a penny (1/240 of a pound) should have been about 1.555 g. However, the quality of the penny, as in other silver coins, continued to decline, and in general, the silver content in the coins of Henry VIII decreased from 925 to 333. th.
Three pence British colonists
Under Edward VI (1547 - 1553) and Mary I, 1 and 1/2 penny coins were issued, called "penny with a rose", since on the reverse of these coins there was a blossoming rose. These coins were of very low quality and were withdrawn from circulation in 1556.
Coins of 1 penny were also issued in small quantities, which led to the appearance of tokens - privately minted coins of English merchants and industrialists, minted from copper or brass.
Queen Elizabeth (1558-1603) was forced to revive the silver denominations. During her reign, the quality of gold and silver coins was greatly improved, in part by the regular capture of Spanish precious metal ships from the Americas. But still, Elizabeth's silver penny remained a very small coin - it weighed about 0.58 g.
The minting of the penny continued throughout the 17th century. In 1664, a penny weighed 0.5 g and had a diameter of 12 mm. The same standard was maintained in the first half of the 18th century.
Under King George II (1728-60) in 1750-58, the silver penny was minted only as part of a set of small silver coins (1d, 2d, 3d and 4d) for the Easter week money distribution ceremony (the so-called Maundy Ceremony).
The tradition of issuing silver coins for distribution during the Easter week is still preserved (coins were not issued in 1800-17; from 1822 to the present, special coins have been issued for this purpose).
The first copper pennies were issued in 1797, and were produced by Matthew Boulton and James Watt, at their Soho mint in Birmingham, on steam coin-operated machines. These coins contained the full value of copper. They were so heavy that they soon became known as "cartwheels".
This coin turned out to be an ounce in weight (28.3 g) and 36 mm in diameter. The reverse featured a seated Britannia. In 1806-08, a copper penny weighing 18.9 g and 34 mm in diameter was produced. The next copper pennies were issued only in 1825, during the reign of George IV. The penny weighed 18.8 g and had a diameter of 34 mm.
The penny was minted for only 3 years (the 1827 issue was intended specifically for Australia). It is noteworthy that in the English colonies in Australia, these coins were sold at a price 2 times higher than their face value.
In the reign of William IV (1830-37), the penny was also minted irregularly, and it was only under Queen Victoria (1837-1901) that regular penny minting began in 1839.
bronze pence
In 1860 pennies were made from bronze. New coin began to weigh 9.4 g and had 30.8 mm. From 1860 to 1970, the parameters of the coin and appearance the reverse is practically unchanged.
The last years of minting silver pennies: 1763, 1765 - 1766, 1770, 1772, 1776, 1799 - 1781, 1784, 1786, 1792, 1795, 1800, 1817, 1818, 1820, subsequently pennies are issued only as maundy money. The weight of the last pennies was 0.5 grams (1817 - 1818, 1820 - 0.471 grams) with a diameter of 11 mm.
I will briefly put here the history of the legendary penny of 1933: several copies of this coin minted in 1933 were immediately placed in the Mint Museum, which is why the debate about the existence of this coin has not subsided to this day, but nevertheless its existence has already been recognized since more willingly than before. This is confirmed by photographs of several of these coins:
Currently in charge Royal Court there are 6 copies of this coin, but, according to witnesses, there was also a 7th copy, which was lost. The reason for such a small minting of the penny at that time was that the minting of coins in 1919 and in 1921 was so great that the minting of coins in 1923 - 1925 was not needed, the same thing happened with the penny 1933.
However, a much larger number of these coins were originally minted - according to the tradition that exists in the world to this day, in the year of laying a new building, coins of this year of issue are placed in its foundation. Consequently, a set of coins, including 1933 pennies, was sent to Bloomsbury University and also two sets to two churches in the Diocese of Ripon in Yorkshire. The Mint keeps two copies for its own collection, and in addition another penny has been given to the British Museum.
But the 1933 coin set was stolen in most of these cases, but as far as we know the University of London still has the 1933 penny. In 1994, an authentic 1933 penny was sold by the Mint for more than £20,000.
British penny after 1971
After the transition of Great Britain to a decimal monetary system in February 1971, the penny was equated to 1/100 of a pound sterling.
Coins were issued 1/2 (until 1984), 1, 2, 5, 10 and 50 pence; to distinguish them from previous pence, they were written NEW PENNY (NEW PENCE).
british mint
As commemorative coin 25 pence coins were minted (1972, 1977, 1980, 1981). Since 1982, they began to mint a coin of 20 pence.
Since 1982, the denomination has been written on the coin (for example, ONE PENNY, TWO PENCE).
In 1983, as a result of an error, the old inscription NEW PENCE appeared on some 2p coins instead of TWO PENCE. Very few of these "erroneous" coins were issued and therefore their collectible value is many times higher than the face value (for example, as of May 28, 2010, a 2d coin from 1983 with the inscription NEW PENCE could be bought for 3,000 pounds sterling).
Since 1992, instead of bronze pence (1 and 2), they began to mint pence from steel and covered with copper; to save the weight and diameter of the coins, they were made somewhat thicker.
The design of the new penny was adopted from old coin at 3 pence (due to the proximity of the exchange rate) - Portcullis. Designed by Christopher Ironside.
Penny in the UK monetary system
The monetary unit of Great Britain - the pound sterling (from the Latin pondus (gravity, weight) - in the past a measure of weight and a monetary unit) has been put into circulation since the time of the Anglo-Saxons. The name of the monetary unit reflects the mass content of the metal used to mint British coins - pence; 240 pence were minted from one pound of silver, which were also called "sterlings", 20 pence were a shilling, respectively, there were 12 shillings in 1 pound. The word "sterling" meant money of standard mass and sample, as large silver pence were called. In the early Middle Ages, the so-called Roman pound, or Libra, was the monetary unit of many Western European countries. Since the mass of 240 pence, or sterling, was equal to the unit of mass - the pound, i.e. Libra, the pound sterling still has the symbol L.
The British monetary system until 1971 was one of the most complex in the world. One pound sterling = 4 crowns = 20 shillings = 60 groats = 240 pence.
One crown was equal to 5 shillings, one half-crown - 2.5 shillings.
One florin was equal to 2 shillings.
One shilling = 3 groats, one groat = 4 pence.
One penny = 2 halfpenny = 4 farthings.
In addition, the guinea, equal to 21 shillings or 252 pence, was used as a unit of account.
12 pence was the main unit of account for the population - the shilling. Accordingly, there were coins in half a shilling - 6 pence and a quarter of a shilling - 3 pence. There were also one penny coins. In addition, the penny itself was divided into four farthings (derived from the Old English feorling - a quarter). Accordingly, there were coins of 1 farthing (farthing) and 1/2 penny (one half penny).
Further: two shillings minted in a single body, that is, in the form of one coin, were called florin (florin). Since about the 17th century, the florin is not a monetary unit, unlike the penny or shilling, but the name of the coin. Since 1936, it has not been officially used, but it was minted on a double shilling: two shillings (two shillings).
In parallel with the coins, there were also paper shillings - banknotes of 1,2, 5 and 10 shillings.
Five shillings minted in a single body were called "crown" (crown). In the 20th century, “crown” is also only the name of a coin, and not a monetary unit; since 1947, the word crown has not been used on coins, but “five shillings” is written.
Thus, until 1970, the English monetary system consisted of three monetary units: a penny - a shilling - a pound and three intermediate fractions: a farthing - a florin - a crown.
Such a confusing system made financial calculations difficult, and in February 1971, monetary calculation in the UK was brought to the decimal system.
Scottish penny
Scottish penny (peighinn) - in the Middle Ages, following the example of England and France, it was equal to 1⁄12 Scottish shillings or 1⁄240 Scottish pounds. After the conclusion of the union of England and Scotland (1707), 12 Scottish pounds were equated to 1 English, so that the Scottish shilling (sgillinn) began to correspond to the English penny.
Scotland did not have its own money until the reign of David I (1124-1153), and then only farthings, halfpenny and pennies began to be minted. From the reign of Robert II (1329-1371), gold nobles and silver groats appeared.
Scottish coins are known for their diversity. Robert III added a lyon (a golden crown) and a half lion. James III (1460-1488) added the gold rider and his factions, as well as the gold unicorn, billon plaque, and copper farthing. Subsequently, the use of base metals increased, and gold and silver were often scarce.
The value of Scottish money inevitably fell in relation to sterling, until, in the end, it turned out that the Scottish shilling (12 pence) was worth no more than an English penny.
After the Union of the Crowns (1603), the Mint in Edinburgh continued to mint its own coins, but gradually they were harmonized with English weights and purity of the metal, which explains the appearance of denominations of 12, 30 and 60 shillings (the equivalents of the English shilling, half-crown and crown). The latest Scottish coins were similar to those of England, but they were marked with an E under the bust of Queen Anne. The Edinburgh Mint closed in 1708.
Irish penny - before the transition to the euro = 1⁄100 Irish pounds (in 1928-70 = 1⁄12 Irish shillings = 1⁄240 Irish pounds).
The first coins of Ireland X century
The first Irish coins were minted back in 997 and were equal to the pound sterling. The denomination of the coins and their division were also similar: 1 Irish pound was equal to 20 shillings, and a shilling was 12 pence.
The first Irish coins had a hole in the middle, they minted the name of the king and the name of the capital - Dublin.
Under King John of Ireland, Irish pennies and halfpenny were minted.
The first coinage of local production was the so-called Irish-Norwegian, first started in Dublin around 995. under the leadership of Sihtric III (Silkbeard), the Norwegian king of Dublin.
Early Irish-Norwegian coins were good copies of the English penny of Æthelred II of the period 979-1016 AD. It is worth noting that the copying of Æthelred's coins was not an attempt at counterfeiting - the English ones were widely recognized in NW Europe at the time, and the coiners of Sihtric used their design to give their coins the same recognition. But the coins were duly signed as having been made in Dublin under the rule of Sihtric. After the Battle of Clontarf in 1014, Ireland became more isolated from its neighbors and the need for money was not as high as under the Norwegian settlers, who were traders and actively used money. Irish-Norwegian coins quickly degraded into a rough copy of Æthelred's long cross type and by about 1030 they contain a minimal legend of vertical strokes instead of letters.
Over the next 100 years the coins became more and more crude, although for the most part the inherited "long cross" design was still recognizable. By the early 1100s, the coins were double or single-sided bracteates (thin coins where a raised image on one side appears concave on the other). It is difficult to trace how the later Irish-Norwegian coins were actually used as coins, so thin and fragile they were. It is reasonable to assume that the number of coins has greatly decreased due to the deterioration of the quality of minting. Even before the arrival of the Normans in Ireland in 1169-1170. production has stopped.
‘Cross’ issue coins were produced in England between 996 and 1001. The Irish mint began operating during this period - probably in 997. The coins were issued in the name of Sihtric and signed by several Dublin mintmasters. The coins also appear with Æthelred's obverse but Dublin mintmasters on the reverse, and similarly with the English mintmaster's signature on the reverse along with Sihtric's obverse.
A fourth version of the Irish coin, with both sides bearing directly copied "English" signatures, is also possible, but such coins would be difficult to distinguish from "real" English pennies.
After the 'cross' issue of Æthelred, the 'long cross' followed. The Irish mint probably adopted the new design within a few months of its introduction in England. An English edition was issued between 1002 and 1008. - The Irish Mint was most likely in operation during most of this period and produced more coins of this type than in any other Phase.
The final issue of Æthelred's penny had a small cross - in England this type was a return to an earlier type. These coins, which are rarer than the long type of cross, point to the decline of Dublin coinage.
The release of Æthelred's 'helm' followed his 'long cross'. In Dublin these coins were also copied with the name of Sihtric, but the circulation was much smaller, as the coins are comparatively rarer.
Æthelred II died in 1016. and he was replaced on the throne by Knut (son of Sven - King of Denmark). The first issue of the coins featured Knut on both sides. The Dublin Mint still copied the contemporary English style, but imitation coins of this type are even rarer than the 'helmet' type. The subsequent issue of the Knut (Type of helmet) is not represented by any surviving coins, and it is likely that this issue of the Knut is the end of the first phase of Norse-Irish coins, circa 1018.
The long type of cross was originally produced between 1002. and 1008. However, this type was especially popular, and perhaps due to a change in trade priorities after the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. or for other reasons, the mint in Dublin found it more useful to produce coins of this old style than to continue to follow the frequent changes in English coinage.
This second phase of Irish-Norwegian coins and the next one includes coins that are mostly of the long type of cross. Early phase II coins contain a ball in each quarter of the reverse and are well minted with clear legends. The quality of coins gradually deteriorates over time, the legends become less clear and the quality of silver decreases. The final coins of the second phase have legends, which are made up of characters that only look like writing, and often contain extra characters. The symbolic image of a human hand appears on some later coins.
After the end of the minting of coins that completely copied the current English ones, the mint in Dublin returned to minting coins of the long cross type of Æthelred II around 1020.
Approximately in 1035. coinage in Dublin deteriorated so much that coins were produced only for internal use within Ireland, as the coinage fell below the standards used in any neighboring regions. The coins became smaller, of poor quality silver, the legends consisted of strokes and symbols rather than inscriptions, the symbol of the human hand appears on many coins in one or more (usually two) quarters of the reverse.
The Irish did not have a minting culture and their experience with brief earlier issues was clearly insufficient to enable them to continue minting to a high standard after the transfer of power from the Dublin Vikings to Irish native chiefs and High Kings.
This phase of Norse-Irish coinage continued until about 1060.
The fifth phase of the Irish-Norwegian coins is really something of a glitch. This is the concentration of an extensive series of pennies that vary considerably in design, overall style, workmanship and weight. They were produced over a period of approximately 40 years between 1060 and 1100.
By about 1100 Norse-Irish coinage had become relatively stable, and a significant number of coins of approximately similar design were minted. These coins had an obverse design of a bust of Æthelred in beams, as in the "long cross" editions, with the addition of a staff in front of the face. The reverse shows a pair of scepters in opposite quarters, and the other pair of quarters usually showed a cross or ball, or less often a ringlet.
The Phase VI coins were made from lower quality silver than previous issues and darker. Several hoards of these coins have been found and are considered by many to be less expensive than any other than Phase III coins. The coins are generally unattractive with very poor mint quality and dark surfaces that reduce the market value.
Irish penny before the 20th century
During the reign of Henry VIII, a harp pattern appeared on coins. Coins were minted from copper, silver and gold. As a result of wear and tear, the rate of the Irish pound fell and fluctuated from time to time. So, in 1701, 13 Irish pounds were equal to 12 English pounds, i.e. 1 English silver shilling was equal to 13 Irish pence. Ireland no longer minted its own silver pounds in these years, and since 1823, when coins were minted for King George IV for the last time, the issue of copper pennies also ceased.
After the conclusion of a political union between Ireland and Great Britain, the country's banks issued exclusively paper banknotes. This continued until Ireland gained independence in 1922.
Irish penny in the XX-beginning of the XXI century
After Ireland gained independence from Great Britain, it became necessary to create its own monetary system. The new Irish Free State decided to maintain links with the pound sterling and issued Irish pounds, shillings and pence and adopted the British system - 12 pence in a shilling, 12 shillings in a pound. The traditional Irish harp was chosen as the symbol for the new coins.
The first revived Irish pounds were issued in 1928, they were also pegged to the British pound sterling and divided into 20 shillings and 240 pence. This was dictated by purely economic considerations - 98% of the country's exports went to the UK.
To create the design of the national currency, a special committee was created by the Irish government.
It was decided that all Irish coins would have a harp on the obverse and the inscriptions ("Saorstát Éireann") in Gaelic script. The first nickel coins were minted at the London Royal Mint.
In 1938, after the adoption of the constitution, the inscription on the obverse of the coins was changed to "Éire" (the name of the country), and the coins began to be minted from a copper-nickel alloy. In 1950, silver coins went out of circulation. In 1966, a 10 shilling coin was issued, on the reverse of which the Irishman Patrick Pierce is depicted.
By the 60s of the last century, a decimal system was introduced, and after extensive discussions (1969), the Irish pound, like other currencies, began to be divided into 100 pence.
The coin was issued on February 15, 1971 after the approval of the second of three sketches of the future coin. The sketch was designed by Irish artist Gabriel Hayes; her design is an adapted image from the Book of Kells, located at Trinity College, Ireland. The coin originally had a diameter of 2.032 centimeters, a mass of 3.564 grams and consisted of an alloy of copper, tin and zinc.
The original official name "new penny" was changed in 1985 to simply "penny". In 1990, the decision was made to produce copper-plated steel coins, as bronze had become relatively expensive.
The coin is 1/100 of the Irish pound and was withdrawn from circulation with the introduction of the euro.
Finnish penny
The Finnish penny was a bargaining chip in Finland before the introduction of the euro, equal to 1⁄100 Finnish marks. Since 1963, the country has minted coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 pennies.
Until 1917, when Finland was part of the Russian Empire, coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 pennies were in circulation. All coins had inscriptions in Finnish on the reverse. Coins of 1, 5 and 10 pence had on the obverse the cyphers of Tsars Alexander II (A II), Alexander III (A III) and Nicholas II (N II), who also ruled the Grand Duchy of Finland. On coins of 25 and 50 pennies, instead of royal monograms, the coat of arms of the Grand Duchy of Finland was depicted (a Russian eagle with the coat of arms of Finland on the chest).
Finnish penny from the time of Alexander II
By the Manifesto of March 23 (April 4), 1860, “On the Change of the Monetary Unit for the Grand Duchy of Finland”, a Finnish bank was allowed to mint a “special” coin - a mark (MARKKA), divided into 100 pennies (PENNIA). According to the Manifesto: “Each mark corresponds to a quarter of a ruble in the amount of pure silver in four spools twenty-one parts, which, according to the current laws on coins, is in a ruble silver, and will thus contain one spool of five and a quarter parts of pure silver.” (Collection of Decrees of the Grand Duchy of Finland, 1860 No. 7). Copper coins are minted in stacks of 128 marks (32 rubles) from a pood. In calculations, a penny is equal to 1/4 kopeck of the Russian Empire.
From the Finnish side, the “fathers” of the Finnish brand are considered to be the head of the financial expedition of the Finnish Senate, Baron Langelskold, and Johan Snellman, who replaced him in this post, a Finnish senator, publicist, father of Finnish nationalism. The name for the new currency was invented by Elias Lönnrot, the collector of Kalevala. The brand name was chosen because it famous name coins and this word was the oldest Finnish word for money. The word "penny" was already used in Finland in the Middle Ages (in the Swedish form penning) and is consonant with the Finnish word "pieni" (small).
In 1863 trial coins for Finland were minted at the Stockholm Mint in denominations of 1, 5, 10 and 20 pennies. They were larger and had a wide rim. In 1866, trial coins of 2 and 20 pennies were minted. 2 pennies were of two types: with and without a jagged rim. 20p with rim only.
Since 1864, the Helsingfor Mint began to mint Russian-Finnish coins: silver (2 and 1 mark 868 silver (2 and 1 mark 868, 50 and 25 pennies 750) and copper (10, 5 and 1 a penny).
About Finnish singing
Coin stamps were made:
From 1864 to 1872 in Stockholm - Leo Ahlborn;
In 1873 in St. Petersburg - Avenir Griliches;
Since 1874, the position of a carver was opened at the Finnish Mint, which was filled by Carl Jahn.
During the reign of Alexander II, the appearance of the coins does not change.
Characteristics of Finnish pennies from 1881 to 1894
After 1885, when the weight, fineness and appearance of the Russian silver coin changed, in Finland the manufacture of silver was preserved according to the same standards and the same design. The gold Russian coin is given in the same pile as the gold Finnish mark, while maintaining the ratio of one to four.
The entire circulation of coins was minted at the Helsingfors mint, which worked during the period when the Grand Duchy of Finland was part of the Russian Empire from 1763 to 1917. He did not put his own designation on the coins.
Finnish penny from the time of Nicholas II
Copper coins after 1894 are minted with the new monogram of Nicholas II, while silver and gold coins retain the appearance of the previous reigns.
Monetary reform Witte 1897 does not affect the monetary system of Finland. After the reform, gold 20 marks correspond to a semi-imperial of seven and a half rubles. Accordingly, the silver mark, which used to be 1/4 of the ruble, grew one and a half times and began to equal 0.375 of the silver ruble of the Russian Empire. All silver and copper coins. With the outbreak of the First World War, the issue of gold (10 and 20 marks) and high-grade silver (1 and 2 marks) coins was discontinued.
The Helsingfor Mint was the first to respond to the revolutionary events of 1917 in Russia. Less than a month after the abdication of Nicholas II from the throne, the Senate of the Grand Duchy of Finland decided to place on all Russian-Finnish coins, both silver and copper, the coat of arms of the Russian Empire without imperial crowns above the eagle.
The volume of minting in 1917 of silver coins with the royal coat of arms was almost four times the volume of minting of these coins with a changed coat of arms (3,440,000 against 864,000 Finnish marks). This circumstance suggests that the minting of Russian-Finnish coins at the Helsingforg mint could have completely ended in 1917 even before the official approval of the coat of arms of the Provisional Government, which never appeared on these coins.
On December 4, 1917, the Finnish Senate adopted the Declaration of Independence of Finland. On December 31, 1917, the Soviet government adopted an act recognizing the independence of Finland. Finland secedes from Russia. Coins with imperial symbols and symbols introduced during the period of the Provisional Government continued to circulate on the territory of independent Finland during 1918.
The entire circulation of coins was minted at the Helsingfors mint, which worked during the period when the Grand Duchy of Finland was part of the Russian Empire from 1763 to 1917. He did not put his own designation on the coins.
Finnish penny after 1917
In independent Finland (after 1917), the denominations of the coins remained the same, but the design changed. First of all, the Russian state symbols were changed to the coat of arms of the Finnish state. New coins were put into circulation in the period 1918-1921. The appearance of some coins changed slightly in 1940-1941.
In 1963, not only the appearance, but also the denominations of the coins changed again: coins of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 pennies were issued.
In the period 1969-1990, the drawings on the coins changed several times, but the denominations established in 1963 remained unchanged.
Since 1990, the inscriptions on the coins have become bilingual: in Finnish and Swedish.
Estonian penny
The Estonian penny was the monetary unit of Estonia in 1918-28, equal to 1⁄100 Estonian marks.
On February 24, 1919, the Bank of Estonia was founded. On April 30, 1919, the Central Bank of Estonia was given the exclusive right to issue banknotes. On August 12, 1921, the government ordered the Minister of Finance to issue change notes of 10 and 25 marks. Coins appeared a little later, in 1922.
The minting of coins of 1922 was carried out in Germany, the minting of coins of the stamps of 1924, 1925 and 1926 was carried out by the State Printing House in Tallinn. Of the state treasury notes, 5 pennies, 10 pennies, 20 pennies, 50 pennies, 1 mark, 3 marks, 5 marks, 10 marks, 25 marks, 100 marks, 500 marks and 1000 marks were in circulation.
Australian penny
The Australian pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 to 1966. The pound consisted of 20 shillings, each shilling - from 12 pence.
The 1930 Australian penny was minted by the Melbourne Mint. To date, numismatics says that there are only six copies of them. A penny is a silver coin coated with a layer of copper. Numismatists have such a term: “Coin of quality proof (Proof)”. This means that this coin highest quality, which has an ideal mirror surface, which is achieved with the help of a double blow of the stamp when minting a coin.
Interesting fact. In Polynesia, the government of Tuvalu ordered the release of a gift souvenir in honor of the Australian penny. This souvenir is a coin made of silver, covered with copper and it is located in a beautiful wooden box. A gift coin can also serve its intended purpose - be used as a regular coin with a denomination of "1 Australian dollar". Their circulation is 5 thousand, each of them has a numbered certificate.
american penny
One-cent coins are colloquially referred to as "pennies" in the US.
Coins minted at the US Mint have been issued from 1792 to the present.
Fake American "golden penny"
One evening (in 2007), Seattle artist Jack Doz walked up to the kiosk at the airport Los Angeles with a small amount of change, including a counterfeit 1-cent 18-carat gold coin that he made himself. After paying $11.90 in change (including the counterfeit) for a Hustler magazine, he left.
Doz never expected to see his creation again, but it turned out that the counterfeit penny was sold for $1,000 at Greg Kutscher's gallery (the cost of the coin was $100).
Sources and links
Sources of texts, pictures and videos
wikipedia.org - the free encyclopedia Wikipedia
coins-gb.ru - information site Coins of Great Britain
dic.academic.ru - dictionaries and encyclopedias on Academician
tolkslovar.ru - electronic dictionary
coins.zoxt.net - information site about coins
pro.lenta.ru - special project Lenta.Ru history of money
dengi-info.com - information and analytical newspaper Money
lady.webnice.ru - site Ladies' club
vk.com/irishcoin - Irish coins group social network In contact with
changes.biz - webmoney exchange service
russian-money.ru - site about coins and banknotes
kuremae.com - information and news resource
moneta-info.ru - information site about coins and money
grandars.ru - online economic encyclopedia Grandars
kot-bayun.ru - fairy tales of the peoples of the world
tartan-tale.livejournal.com - blog in LiveJournal
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hyperionics.com - site of the creators of the HyperSnap screen capture program
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