small change coin of some countries of the world in different periods of history, also the name of an old English silver coin issued by King Offa on the model of denarii, and which became the basis of monetary circulation throughout England
Information about pennies, varieties of pennies, including the British penny, Scottish penny, Irish penny, Australian penny and Finnish penny, history of coins in different countries, appearance and modification of pennies over time
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Penny is the definition
Penny is a small change monetary unit, the name of which came from the Old Germanic language. The most famous is the British penny, first minted in the 8th century and has undergone a number of changes since then. The Scottish and Irish penny are also known; the Australian, Finnish and Estonian penny are less famous. Also, "pennies" in the United States are colloquially called one-cent coins.
Penny is a currency unit of exchange in many countries and territories that at various times were part of the British Empire, as well as Finland and Estonia. The most famous is the British penny. At the time the farthing was in circulation, it was worth a quarter of a penny.
Penny is British small change. Name of penny (in old English language- pennige) has a common root with the German word "pfennig".
Penny is English coin minted from the 11th century. from silver, copper, bronze.
Penny 1927
Penny is a modern British coin of change, constituting one hundredth of a pound sterling.
Penny is small change coin of Finland" equal to one hundredth of a Finnish mark.
Penny 1916
Penny is British monetary unit equal to one hundredth of a pound sterling.
Penny is monetary unit of the Irish Republic, equal to one hundredth of the Irish pound (punt).
Penny 1913
Penny is English silver, and eventually copper coin, first issued by King Offa on the Carolingian model.
Penny is old english silver coin. From the end 17th century pennies were minted from copper, and from 1860 - from bronze.
penny coin
Penny is British small change. 1 penny = 1/100 of a pound sterling (before February 1971 1 penny = 1/240 of a pound sterling, or 1/12 of a shilling).
Penny is small change coin of Finland, equal to 1/100 Finnish mark.
Six pence 1887
Penny is 1/12 shilling or 1/240 pound. The name “penny” comes from the Old Germanic language, in which this word (pfenning, 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.
The British penny is an English, later British coin. Before February 1971, a penny was equal to 1⁄12 shillings or 1⁄240 pounds sterling, from 1971 to present = 1⁄100 pounds sterling.
The appearance of the English penny 8th century
Penny (penny) is an English coin, first minted from silver by King Offa of Mercia (757 - 796) on the model of the Carolingian denarii ("d" - the first letter denarius - is the designation for penny). The obverse of the coin is a chest-length portrait of the king, the reverse is a cross with decorations. The diameter was originally approx. 17 mm, under Kenwulf (796 - 822) - 21 mm.
Offa, King of Mercia (in the central part of what is now England), introduced into circulation a silver coin called the penny (like the German "pfennig", derived from some ancient root meaning "gift" or "token"). Subsequently, pennies became the basis of monetary circulation 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 (barley grains). It was based on a principle previously tested by the king of the Franks, Pepin the Short: he introduced “new denarii” (named after a Roman silver coin), and decreed that 240 coins should be made from one pound of silver. However, the Frankish and English pounds were slightly different, so the coins were not the same. King Offa's penny was minted with his name.
This was the first silver coin in Britain. It was so convenient that during Offa's lifetime other English kingdoms ( East Anglia, Kent, Wessex) followed his example and introduced similar coins.
Subsequently, Offa reformed monetary circulation twice more, introducing coins of greater weight. Some of them were minted with his portrait, as well as (probably inspired by Byzantine coins with Queen Irene) a portrait of his wife. Offa gold coins are also known, including copies of Arab coins, apparently made for international trade.
Under Edgar (957 - 975), the minting of English pennies began at 35 mints; under his successor Ethelred (979 - 1016), 11 types of coins were minted at 80 mints, but all with a chest-length 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 widespread throughout Europe and even in Rus'. 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, producing half-pennies and quarter-pennies. In 1257, the penny was released in gold.
British penny before the 15th century
Until the conquest of England by the Normans (1066) and for 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 deterioration of the coins and failure of coin masters to comply with the general standard).
A particularly strong deterioration in the quality of pennies 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 greater weight and silver content.
British pence
In 1180, under Henry II (1154 - 1189), pennies were minted, which were called "sterling" and gave the name to the pound sterling at the end of the 14th century. Sterling preserved the image (a chest-length portrait of the king with a scepter in his hand and a two-line cross with 4 points in the corners) and the sample until 1248. In 1248, the cross on the reverse was changed: it became longer and there were 3 dots in the corners; in 1279, the cross was also changed to a simple wide one. The sterling grade 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 weight of the penny was reduced from over 20 grains to 18 grains, in 1412 to 15 grains, and in 1464 it was further reduced to 12 grains.
For a long time, the penny remained the only coin in England. In the 13th century, new small change coins larger and smaller than a penny were introduced in England: the grout (4 pence), the halfpenny and the farthing (1/4 penny).
By the 14th century, a harmonious monetary system had been created in England:
1 pound sterling = 20 shillings (until the 16th century - only a monetary unit of account) = 60 grouts (120 half-groats) = 240 pence (= 480 halfpennies) = 960 farthings.
English penny in the XV-XVIII centuries
Problems associated with England's military spending (the Hundred Years' War) and the leakage of full-value English coins to the continent contributed to a decline in the weight and quality of pennies and other small change coins.
In 1412 the weight of the penny was reduced, in 1464 Edward IV reduced the silver content of the coins by 20%: the weight of the penny dropped 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 lb) would have been around 1.555 g. However, the quality of the penny, like other silver coins, continued to decline, and overall the silver content of Henry VIII coins fell from 925 fineness to 333 fineness. th.
Three pence British colonists
Under Edward VI (1547 - 1553) and Mary I, 1 and 1/2 penny coins were issued, which were called the "rose penny" because the reverse of these coins featured a blooming rose. These coins were of very low standard and were withdrawn from circulation in 1556.
1 penny coins were also issued in small quantities, which led to the appearance of tokens - coins privately minted by English merchants and industrialists, minted from copper or brass.
Queen Elizabeth (1558-1603) was forced to revive silver denominations. During her reign, the quality of gold and silver coins was greatly improved, partly due to the regular seizure of Spanish ships carrying precious metals from the Americas. But still, Elizabeth's silver penny remained a very small coin - it weighed about 0.58 g.
The minting of pennies continued throughout the 17th century. In 1664, the penny already 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 distribution ceremony of Easter week(the so-called Maundy Ceremony).
The tradition of issuing silver coins for distribution during 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-powered coin presses. 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 showed a seated Britannia. In 1806-08, a copper penny was produced weighing 18.9 g and with a diameter of 34 mm. The next copper pennies were not issued until 1825, during the reign of George IV. The penny weighed 18.8 g and had a diameter of 34 mm.
Pennies were 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.
During the reign of William IV (1830-37), pennies were also minted irregularly, and it was only under Queen Victoria (1837-1901) that regular minting of pennies began in 1839.
Bronze pennies
In 1860, pennies began to be made from bronze. The new coin weighed 9.4 g and measured 30.8 mm. From 1860 to 1970, the parameters of the coin and the appearance of the reverse remained virtually unchanged.
Recent years coinage of silver pennies: 1763, 1765 - 1766, 1770, 1772, 1776, 1799 - 1781, 1784, 1786, 1792, 1795, 1800, 1817, 1818, 1820, subsequently the penny was 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’ll 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 still does not subside, but nevertheless its existence is already recognized with more willing than before. This is confirmed by photographs of several of these coins:
At the moment, there are 6 copies of this coin under the jurisdiction of the Royal Court, but, according to witnesses, there was also a 7th copy, which was lost. The reason for such a small minting of pennies at that time was that the minting of coins in 1919 and 1921 was so large that the minting of coins in 1923 - 1925 was not needed, the same thing happened with pennies 1933.
However, a much larger number of these coins were originally minted - according to a 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, were sent to the University at Bloomsbury and also two sets to two churches in the diocese of Ripon in Yorkshire. The Mint holds two examples for its own collection, and in addition another penny was given to the British Museum.
But the 1933 penny 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 example of a 1933 penny was sold by the Mint for more than £20,000.
British penny after 1971
Following the UK's switch to decimal coinage in February 1971, the penny was equivalent to 1/100 of a pound sterling.
Coins were issued in 1/2 (until 1984), 1, 2, 5, 10 and 50 pence; to distinguish them from previous pennies, NEW PENNY (NEW PENCE) was written on them.
British mint
The 25 pence coin was minted as a commemorative coin (1972, 1977, 1980, 1981). Since 1982, they began minting a 20 pence coin.
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 instead of TWO PENCE appeared on some 2p coins. A very small number of these "erroneous" coins were produced and therefore have a collector's value many times the face value (for example, as of 28 May 2010, a 1983 2p coin with the inscription NEW PENCE could be bought for £3,000).
Since 1992, instead of bronze pennies (1 and 2), steel pennies began to be minted and coated with copper; To maintain the weight and diameter of the coins, they were made somewhat thicker.
The design of the new penny was adopted from the old 3 pence coin (due to the proximity of the exchange rate) - Portcullis. Designer: Christophor Ironside.
Pennies 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 of account) 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 made up a shilling, respectively, there were 12 shillings in 1 pound. The word “sterling” meant money of standard weight and fineness, which was the name for large silver pennies. In the early Middle Ages, the monetary unit of many Western European countries was the so-called Roman pound, or Libra. Since the mass of 240 pence, or sterling, was equal to a unit of mass - a pound, i.e. Libra, the pound sterling still has the symbol L.
The UK monetary system until 1971 was one of the most complex in the world. One pound sterling = 4 crowns = 20 shillings = 60 grouts = 240 pence.
One crown was equal to 5 shillings, one half-crown was 2.5 shillings.
One florin was equal to 2 shillings.
One shilling = 3 groats, one groat = 4 pence.
One penny = 2 halfpennies = 4 farthings.
In addition, the guinea was used as a unit of account, equal to 21 shillings or 252 pence.
12 pence constituted the basic unit of account for the population - the shilling. Accordingly, there were coins for half shilling - 6 pence and quarter 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 - 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. 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 the double shilling was minted as follows: two shillings (two shillings).
In parallel with coins, there were also paper shillings - banknotes of 1, 2, 5 and 10 shillings.
Five shillings minted in a single body were called a “crown”. In the 20th century, “crown” is also only the name of a coin, not a monetary unit; since 1947, the word crown is not used on coins, but “five shillings” is written.
Thus, until 1970, the English monetary system consisted of three monetary units: penny - shilling - pound and three intermediate fractions: farthing - florin - crown.
Such a confusing system made financial calculations difficult, and in February 1971, monetary calculation in Great Britain was brought to the decimal system.
Scottish penny
Scottish penny (peighinn) - in the Middle Ages, following the example of England and France, was equal to 1⁄12 Scottish shilling or 1⁄240 Scottish pound. After the conclusion of the Union of England and Scotland (1707), 12 Scots pounds were equal to 1 English, so that the English penny began to correspond to the Scottish shilling (sgillinn).
Scotland did not have its own money until the reign of David I (1124-1153), and then only farthings, halfpennies 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 variety. Robert III added a lyon (golden crown) and a demi-lyon. James III (1460-1488) added the gold rider and its fractions, as well as the gold unicorn, billon pluck 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 eventually the Scottish shilling (12 pence) was worth no more than an English penny.
After the Union of the Crowns (1603), the Edinburgh Mint continued to strike its own coins, but they were gradually adjusted to English weights and purity of metal, which explains the introduction of denominations of 12, 30 and 60 shillings (equivalent to the English shilling, half-crown and crown). The last Scottish coins were similar to the English coins, but were marked E under the bust of Queen Anne. The Edinburgh Mint closed in 1708.
Irish penny - before the euro = 1⁄100 Irish pound (in 1928-70 = 1⁄12 Irish shilling = 1⁄240 Irish pound).
The first coins of Ireland, 10th 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 equal to 12 pence.
The first Irish coins had a hole in the middle, they were minted with the name of the king and the name of the capital - Dublin.
Under King John the Landless of Ireland, Irish pennies and halfpennies were minted.
The first locally produced coinage was the so-called Irish-Norwegian coinage, first begun in Dublin around 995. under the leadership of Sihtric III (Silkbeard), the Norwegian king of Dublin.
Early Irish-Norse coins were good copies English penny of Ethelred II period 979-1016 AD. It is worth noting that the copying of Æthelred's coins was not an attempt at counterfeiting - English ones were widely accepted in North-West Europe at the time, and the Sihtric monetariums used their designs to ensure their coins received the same recognition. But the coins were duly signed as having been produced 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 great as under the Norse settlers, who were traders and actively used money. The Irish-Norse coins quickly degraded to a crude copy of Æthelred's 'long cross' coin, and by about 1030 they contained 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, coins were double or single-sided bracteates (thin coins where a convex image on one side appears concave on the other). It is difficult to trace how later Irish-Norse coins were actually used as coins, they were so thin and fragile. It is reasonable to assume that the number of coins was greatly reduced due to the deterioration of the quality of coinage. Even before the Normans arrived in Ireland in 1169-1170. production stopped.
'Cross' issue coins were produced in England between 996 and 1001. The Irish mint began operating during this period - probably in 997. Coins were issued in the name of Sihtric and signed by several Dublin mintmasters. The coins also appear with the obverse of Æthelred but the Dublin mintmasters on the reverse, and also with the signature of the English mintmaster on the reverse along with the Sihtric obverse.
A fourth version of the Irish coin, with both sides containing directly copied "English" signatures, is also possible, but such coins would be difficult to distinguish from "real" English pennies.
After the 'cross' release of Ethelred came the 'long cross'. The Irish Mint probably accepted new design within a few months of its appearance in England. The English edition was issued between 1002 and 1008. - the Irish mint was most likely active during most of this period and produced more coins of this type than in any other Phase.
The final issue of Aethelred's penny had a small cross - in England, this type was a return to an earlier type. These coins, less common than the long cross type, indicate the decline of coin production in Dublin.
The release of Aethelred's 'helm' followed his 'long cross'. In Dublin these coins were also copied with Sihtric's name, but the mintage 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 coin issue showed both sides of Cnut. The Dublin Mint was still copying the contemporary English style, but imitation coins of this type are even rarer than the ‘helmet’ type. The subsequent issue of Cnut (Helmet Type) is not represented by any surviving coins, and it is likely that this issue of Cnut marks the end of the first phase of Norse-Irish coinage, circa 1018.
The long type of cross was originally issued between 1002. and 1008 However, this type was particularly popular and may have been due to a change in trade priorities after the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. or for other reasons the mint at 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 cross type. Early Phase II coins contain a ball in each reverse quarter and are well struck with clear legends. The quality of the coins gradually deteriorates over time, the legends become less clear and the quality of the silver decreases. The final coins of the second phase have legends that are composed of symbols that only resemble writing, and often contain extra characters. The symbolic image of a human hand appears on some later coins.
After the end of minting coins that closely copied current English ones, the Dublin mint returned to minting coins of the long cross type of Æthelred II around 1020.
Around 1035 coinage in Dublin had deteriorated to the point that coins were only produced for domestic use within Ireland, as the coinage had fallen below the standards used in any neighboring regions. Coins became smaller, of poor quality silver, legends consisted of strokes and symbols rather than inscriptions, and 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 allow them to continue minting to a high standard after the transfer of power from the Dublin Vikings to the Irish native chiefs and High Kings.
This phase of Norse-Irish coinage lasted until about 1060.
The fifth phase of the Irish-Norwegian coins is indeed something of a blooper. This is a concentration of an extensive series of pennies that vary significantly in design, overall style, production quality and weight. They were produced over a period of approximately 40 years between 1060 and 1100.
Around 1100, Norse-Irish coinage had achieved relative stability and significant amount coins of approximately similar design. These coins had the obverse design of a bust of Æthelred in the rays, as in the "long cross" editions, with the addition of an image 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 commonly a ring.
Phase VI coins were made from silver of lower quality than previous issues and darker. Several hoards of these coins have been found and many believe that they are less valuable than any other coins other than Phase III coins. The coins are generally unattractive with very poor strike quality and dark surfaces which reduce market value.
Irish penny before the 20th century
During the reign of Henry VIII, a harp design appeared on coins. Coins were minted from copper, silver and gold. As a result of wear and tear, the exchange 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 those 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 political union between Ireland and Great Britain, the country's banks issued exclusively paper banknotes. This remained the case until Irish independence in 1922.
Irish penny in the 20th and early 21st centuries
After Ireland gained independence from Great Britain, the need arose 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 the shilling, 12 shillings in the 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 English 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 Great Britain.
A special committee was created by the Irish government to create the design of the national currency.
It was decided that all Irish coins would have a harp on the obverse and the inscriptions ("Saorstát Éireann") would be in Gaelic script. The first nickel coins were issued at the Royal Mint in London.
In 1938, after the adoption of the constitution, the inscription on the obverse of the coins was changed to “Éire” (name of the country), and 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, featuring the Irishman Patrick Pearce on the reverse.
By the 60s of the last century, the decimal system was introduced, and after widespread discussion (1969), the Irish pound, like other currencies, began to be divided into 100 pence.
The coin was released on February 15, 1971, after the approval of the second of three designs for the future coin. The sketch was designed by Irish artist Gabriel Haysem; its design is adapted 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 is a small change coin of Finland before the introduction of the euro, equal to 1⁄100 Finnish mark. Since 1963, the country has minted coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 pence.
Until 1917, when Finland was part of the Russian Empire, coins in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 pence were in circulation. All coins had inscriptions in Finnish on the reverse. The 1, 5 and 10 penny coins 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 the 25 and 50 penny coins, instead of the 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 changing the monetary unit for the Grand Duchy of Finland,” the 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 of twenty-one shares, which, according to the current laws on coinage, is contained in a silver ruble, and will thus contain one spool of five and a quarter shares of pure silver.” (Collection of Resolutions of the Grand Duchy of Finland, 1860 No. 7). Copper coins are minted per foot of 128 marks (32 rubles) from a pud. In calculations, a penny is equivalent to 1/4 of a kopeck of the Russian Empire.
On the Finnish side, the “fathers” of the Finnish brand are considered to be the head of the financial expedition of the Finnish Senate, Baron Langelsjold and his successor in this post, Johan Snellman, a Finnish senator, publicist, and the father of Finnish nationalism. The name for the new currency was invented by Elias Lönnrot, a collector of the Kalevala. The name "mark" was chosen because it was a well-known name for coins and 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 similar to the Finnish word "pieni" (small).
In 1863, proof 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, proof coins for 2 and 20 pennies were minted. There were two types of 2 pennies: with and without a scalloped rim. 20p with rim only.
Since 1864, the Helsingfors Mint began minting 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
Stamps for coins were made:
From 1864 to 1872 in Stockholm - Leo Ahlborn;
In 1873 in St. Petersburg - Avenir Griliches;
Since 1874, the position of carver was opened at the Finnish Mint, which was filled by Carl Jahn.
During the reign of Alexander II, the appearance of the coins did not change.
Characteristics of Finnish pennies from 1881 to 1894
After 1885, when the weight, fineness and appearance of the Russian silver coin changed, silver production in Finland was maintained according to the same standards and the same design. The Russian gold coin is placed in the same foot as the Finnish gold mark, while maintaining the ratio of one to four.
The entire circulation of coins was minted at the Helsingfors Mint, which operated during the period when the Grand Duchy of Finland was part of the Russian Empire from 1763 to 1917. It did not put its 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.
Witte's 1897 monetary reform does not affect the Finnish monetary system. After the reform, 20 gold marks correspond to a half-imperial of seven and a half rubles. Accordingly, the silver mark, which previously amounted to 1/4 of a ruble, increased one and a half times and became equal to 0.375 of the silver ruble of the Russian Empire. All silver and copper coins retained their foot. 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 Helsingfors Mint was the first to respond to the revolutionary events of 1917 in Russia. Less than a month after Nicholas II abdicated the throne, the Senate of the Grand Duchy of Finland decided to place the coat of arms of the Russian Empire without imperial crowns above the eagle on all Russian-Finnish coins, both silver and copper.
The volume of minting of silver coins with the royal coat of arms in 1917 was almost four times higher than the volume of minting of these coins with the changed coat of arms (3,440 thousand versus 864 thousand 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 Finnish Independence. On December 31, 1917, the Soviet government adopted the Act of Recognition of the Independence of Finland. Finland leaves Russia. Coins with imperial symbols and symbols introduced during the period of the Provisional Government continued to circulate in independent Finland during 1918.
The entire circulation of coins was minted at the Helsingfors Mint, which operated during the period when the Grand Duchy of Finland was part of the Russian Empire from 1763 to 1917. It did not put its own designation on the coins.
Finnish penny after 1917
In independent Finland (after 1917), the coin denominations remained the same, but the design changed. First of all, Russian state symbols was changed to the coat of arms of the Finnish state. New coins were introduced 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 pence were issued.
In the period 1969-1990, the designs on the coins changed several times, but the denominations established in 1963 remained unchanged.
Since 1990, the inscriptions on coins have become bilingual: in Finnish and Swedish.
Estonian penny
The Estonian penny is the currency unit of exchange in Estonia in 1918-28, equal to 1⁄100 Estonian mark.
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. The coins appeared a little later, in 1922.
The 1922 coins were minted in Germany; the 1924, 1925 and 1926 stamp coins were minted by the State Printing House in Tallinn. Of the government treasury notes in circulation, there were 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.
Australian penny
The Australian pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 to 1966. The pound consisted of 20 shillings, each shilling - of 12 pence.
The 1930 Australian penny was struck by the Melbourne Mint. Today, numismatics say that only six copies exist. A penny is a silver coin coated with a layer of copper. Numismatists have a term: “Proof quality coin.” This means that this coin is of the highest quality, having an ideal mirror surface, which is achieved using a double blow of the stamp when minting the coin.
Interesting fact. In Polynesia, the government of Tuvalu has ordered the release of a souvenir in honor of the Australian penny. This souvenir is a coin made of silver, coated with copper and it is located in a beautiful wooden box. The gift coin can also serve its intended purpose - used like 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 called "pennies" in the United States.
Coins minted at the United States Mint date from 1792 to the present.
Fake American "golden penny"
One evening (in 2007), Seattle artist Jack Doz walked up to a kiosk at the Los Angeles airport with some change, including a fake 18-karat gold dime he had made himself. After paying $11.90 in change (along with the counterfeit) for Hustler magazine, he left.
Doz didn't expect to see his creation again, but it turned out that the counterfeit penny was sold for $1,000 at Greg Kucher's gallery (the cost of the coin was $100).
Sources and links
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wikipedia.org - free encyclopedia Wikipedia
coins-gb.ru - information site UK Coins
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 - Ladies Club website
vk.com/irishcoin- group Irish coins 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 on LiveJournal
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The United Kingdom is strong in tradition. The rules seem unshakable, laws are written as if until the end of time. Therefore, it is not surprising that Great Britain clung to the historical monetary system, different from most states of the twentieth century, to the last. A dozen pence made a shilling, and two dozen shillings made a pound sterling. In reality, the situation was even more complicated, since there were more than a dozen coins with different names, where the largest (guinea) was equal to one thousand 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. Moreover, countries such as Australia and Canada, having retained the portrait of the Queen of England 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 catalog of British weather has already gained significant thickness and volume.
British penny
February 1971 thinned out the detachment of monetary units, leaving only the pound sterling and a hundred of its change pence in service. Among the 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 undermines even the strongest currencies, so the halfpenny can no longer be found in the modern coin series. The penny is the smallest of the UK coins.
The pedigree of the penny must be traced back to monetary units that were brought to the territory of modern Great Britain by Germanic tribes. Historians claim that the forerunner of singing is the monastery, which industriously served as 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 hermitage, which lasted until the early ninth century. The first penny is silver coin. Only centuries later they began to mint it from copper, and subsequently from bronze.
Since 1985, the penny has been the smallest UK coin. It should be noted that in the period from 1971 to 1981, the word “NEW” was minted next to the denomination name 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 residents 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 denomination (“ONE PENNY”).
Since 1992, coin production has become cheaper, when the monolithic bronze of pennies and two-penny coins was replaced by a copper-plated steel core. In order not to rebuild vending machines that respond to weight, the new generation of coins had to be made thicker.
The design of the reverse is symbolically connected with the number “1”. There is a grating of the fortress gates, topped with a crown. This was exactly the emblem of the first king in the Tudor dynasty, Henry the Seventh. A radical change in the design of the reverse of UK coins occurred in 2008. They decided to leave only the largest denomination unchanged. For the rest, the work of the competition winner, Matthew Dent, was used. interesting idea, when fragments of the Royal Shield are placed on the reverse. And the owner of a coin series from pennies to fifty pence will be able to make an image of this shield from coins.
Two pence
If one is a penny, then all the other denominations are pence. Although our modern language and allows the phrase “one penny”, to see this for a classic is the same as for a well-bred good teacher in Russian, read “hare”, “parachute” or “one coffee”. Accordingly, “two pennies” are two coins of one penny each. And if there is one coin, this is 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 released this coin into circulation, completing the campaign to switch to decimal system. At first, the material for the blank was bronze, but since 1992 it has been a steel coin (93%) coated with copper (7%). Connoisseurs, however, pay attention to the fact of the existence of a bronze coin of later years of issue (in catalogs for this variety the letter “a” is added to the main number), which was issued to form collection sets that 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 that feathered crown? 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 late 60s were an extremely turbulent period for Northern Ireland. Belfast is fresh in my mind. Armed clashes occur. Troops have been brought in, but skeptics shake their heads that Northern Ireland will soon leave the United Kingdom. Therefore, at the last moment, a decision was made: on the reverse of the 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 prescient. In 1972, the Northern Ireland government was dissolved and the coat of arms of Northern Ireland was deprived of its official status.
The period of coins with the prefix "NEW" ends in 1981, and only for two pence it was unexpectedly extended until 1983 in a number of catalogs. The fault here is no longer politics, but confusion. In 1983, for the minting of a small part of the circulation, an outdated stamp was mistakenly placed, where instead of the required “TWO” the old “NEW” was displayed. This mistake is greatly appreciated by UK weather collectors, so "NEW PENCE" 1983 are already trading with totals of several thousand pounds sterling.
Let us note the fact that the packaging of two pence in bank packaging is carried out in amounts equal to one pound. But hurry up with this packaging outlets. Plans by those who like to upset cashiers by counting change from piggy banks in the UK will be severely overthrown. It turns out that for some denominations the amounts within which they are a means of payment are legally established. For one penny and two pence coins, this amount is only twenty pence. If numismatists divide the periods of pre-reform coins of the USSR by the number of ribbons in the coat of arms of the Soviet state, then for coins of the countries of the Commonwealth of the British Crown the dividing line is a 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 was depicted according to a portrait by Raphael Maklouf, 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 goal of which was the introduction of the decimal system. It is believed that it replaced the shilling. This makes sense, since both a shilling and the new five pence are the twentieth of a pound. The fivepence coin was introduced into circulation on April 23, 1968. Until 1971, these coins had to saturate circulation and become familiar, so that the abandonment of the shilling would not seem like a national tragedy. Note that the shilling finally left circulation only in 1990. During the “decimal” period, the existence of the five-pence piece managed to change significantly. It originally weighed 5.65 grams and had a diameter of 23.59 millimeters. But as soon as the shilling disappeared, the five pence shrank to eighteen millimeters in diameter and was reduced to three grams and a quarter. Since 2012, copper-nickel for workpieces has given way to nickel-plated steel. Since 2008, the reverse of the 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 forward detachments in preparation for entering the decimal system. They also appeared in circulation on April 23, 1968. The ten penny piece, weighing 11.31 grams and with a diameter of 28.5 millimeters, 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, ten pence changes in size, becoming noticeably smaller (weight - 6.5 grams and diameter - 24.5 millimeters). Both five and ten pence in the old sizes have been withdrawn from circulation, along with shillings and florins. A gigantic one and a half billion circulation, minted in 1992, was intended to supplant the coins of the previous type. However, there are coins of both types with the date “1992”. Nickel silver, familiar to us from the pre-reform USSR, was a material for blanks until 2012. Since January 2012, dimes have been made from nickel-plated steel. Modern ten pences are similar in size to American quarters.
Twenty pence (UK)
A decade of circulation of the new coins showed the inconvenience of the empty space between the ten and fifty cent denominations. Filling it out is the calling of the new denomination, introduced into circulation on June 9, 1982. Copper-nickel billets differ from other denominations in the form of a higher copper content (84% versus 75%). The coin borrowed its shape from the “fifty kopeck piece” - the same Reuleaux heptagon. This shape is designed to separate it by touch from other denominations (it cannot be confused with a fifty-pence note due to the difference in dimensions).
2008 gave numismatists interesting mix-up. From this year, fragments of the English and Scottish lions are 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. The date successfully moves to the obverse. But chance intervenes: a small part of the circulation is minted with an old-style stamp. As a result The date is missing on both the reverse and 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 this was the minting of exclusively commemorative coins in 1972, 1977, 1980 and 1981. Since 1982, the task of this denomination was transferred to twenty pence.
Fifty pence (UK)
On October 14, 1969, a fifty-pence coin was introduced into circulation to support the five- and ten-penny denominations. This is the first coin to have the shape of a Reuleaux heptagon. In the mathematical description of this heptagon we can read the following properties: “The sides are not straight, but are 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 along 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 her. 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 yearly basis 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 makes adjustments to everything. Inflation undermined the British pound, and by the early eighties it became clear that it was more profitable to represent this denomination in circulation as a coin. The launch of minting the pound was announced in the summer of 1981. Actually everyday coins appeared on April 21, 1983. The solid denomination differed sharply from pence in its impressive weight (only half a gram was not enough to reach ten) and color (the yellow tint is provided by a quarter of the zinc in the total alloy of the coin). The obverse, as usual, is occupied by a portrait of the queen. Reverse is extremely difficult to describe, since it is not a constant. It changes every year. If it was there in the first year of production National emblem, then after the reverse were symbols representing the constituent parts of the United Kingdom. First, flowers were used, then heraldry, then famous bridges, and then the emblems of capitals. However, the plant theme was resumed. According to Matthew Dent, since 2008, the entire Royal Coat of Arms has been placed on the reverse of the pound sterling.
But then 2017 arrived and the Royal Mint transformed the round pound coins into a silver-gold dodecahedron, updating the Queen's portrait and replacing the design on the reverse. New trends are primarily aimed at protecting against counterfeits, of which there are already three percent of the total number of coins of a given 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 option became the winner of 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 broadcast with delight. The old round pound will very soon lose its status as a means of payment and will leave circulation.
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 a nickel-brass alloy, 925 silver and 917 gold. Looking at the thistle, it is difficult to understand why this coin is included in the “Sports” category. It turns out this is not a mistake. 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.
Researchers observed the circulation of this denomination. Based on the results of their work, they decided to introduce regular coins of the same denomination in addition to commemorative coins. However, the regular version had a significant difference - it became the first representative of the bimetal in the UK. The outer ring is composed of a ternary 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 coin was put into circulation on June 15, 1998. Interesting fact is that coins with the date “1997” came into circulation, on which Elizabeth the Second was portrayed by Raphael Maklouf. Coins from 1998 and later have the Queen's portrait by Iain Rank-Broadley.
The complex design of the reverse was explained by its creator Bruce Rushin as follows: we see a transition from the Iron Age, which symbolizes the outer ring, to the age of the Internet and new technologies. If we look closely, we will see the coordinated work of nineteen gear rings in the center. According to the laws of mechanics, such a device would not be able to function due to an odd number of gears. But this apparently didn’t bother Bruce Rushin at all. Between the gears and the outer ring we see a pattern created by fragments of printed circuit boards.
We can also see five-pound coins in circulation. But they already belong to the “memorable” category, so we will talk about them in the following articles.
Latest auction prices for coins in Russian rubles
| Photo | Description of the coin | G | VG | F | VF | XF | AU | UNC | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 pound 2016 UK round | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| 1 pound 2016 new UK new (12-point), without sign | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 pounds 2001 UK from 244 to 287 rub. | - | - | - | - | 244 | - | 287 | - | |
| 2 pounds 1997 UK from 276 to 323 rub. | - | - | - | - | 276 | - | 323 | - |
| 2 pounds 1998 UK from 161 to 1,155 rubles. | - | - | - | 203 | 161 | 195 | 373 | 1 155 | |