Coins of England and Great Britain

('Coins of the UK')

by Tony Clayton

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3 - Decimal One Penny

Decimal Halfpenny <<-- : -->> Decimal Two Pence

Values of Decimal Bronze coins

Pictures of Decimal One Penny Coins on www.ukcoinpics.co.uk

The new penny weighs 3.56 grams and has a diameter of 20.32 mm. Initially issued in bronze, the material used to make the 1p coins changed to copper plated steel in 1992. Since then the only penny to appear in bronze has been the proof issue of 1999.

The copper-plated steel pence are lower in density than the bronze pence, and so are slightly thicker as the weight remained the same - a fact that becomes very evident if you compare piles of 10 coins of each type. A magnet is the easiest way of distinguishing the two types of 1992 and 1999.

There are seven types of this coin.

Obv: First Portrait, inscription ELIZABETH II D G REG F D (date) starting top right
Rev: Portcullis, 1 below, NEW PENNY above
Bronze, issued from 1971 to 1981 (1972 in Proof only)
Obv: First Portrait, inscription ELIZABETH II D G REG F D (date) starting top right
Rev: Portcullis, 1 below, ONE PENNY above
Bronze, issued from 1982 to 1984 (n.b. some catalogues say that the 1984 coin is only obtainable from Mint and Proof sets, but this is not so - it is reasonably plentiful in circulation)
Obv: Second Portrait, inscription ELIZABETH II D G REG F D (date) starting low left
Rev: Portcullis, 1 below, ONE PENNY above
Bronze, issued from 1985 to 1992. The 1992 bronze coins are found only in the Mint Sets and Proof Sets of that year.
Obv: Second Portrait, inscription ELIZABETH II D G REG F D (date) starting low left
Rev: Portcullis, 1 below, ONE PENNY above
Copper plated steel, issued from 1992 to 1997. The 1996 version exists as a silver proof.
Obv: Third Portrait, inscription ELIZABETH II D G REG F D (date) starting low left. Initials IRB below bust. Beading around.
Rev: Portcullis, 1 below, ONE PENNY above
Copper plated steel, issued from 1998 to 2008. All dates up to 2008 are in circulation.
A gold proof version is known dated 2002 and 2008.
Obv: Third Portrait, inscription ELIZABETH II D G REG F D (date) starting low left. Initials IRB below bust. Beading around.
Rev: Portcullis, 1 below, ONE PENNY above
Bronze, issued in 1999 in the Proof Set (and possibly Uncirculated Coin Set) only.
New design
Obv: Third Portrait, inscription ELIZABETH II D G REG F D (date) starting low left. Initials IRB below bust. No beading.
Rev: Left side of the Royal Arms, ONE PENNY to the left
Copper plated steel, from 2008. 2008 and 2009 seen in circulation.
Proofs in silver, 2008 and 2009, and gold in 2008

The full designation of the 1971-2008 reverse is 'A portcullis with chains royally crowned'.

Late Use of Bronze

Production difficulties at the Royal Mint meant that during 1998 some bronze coins were produced in bronze instead of copper-plated steel.

They can easily be distinguished by the use of a magnet.

However, the 1998 1p was only issued for circulation in a copper-plated steel form.

The 1p in the 1999 Proof Set was issued in bronze instead of the usual copper plated steel.

I am most grateful to the Royal Mint for giving me this information regarding the issue of bronze coins in 1998 and 1999.

Acknowledgements

See my Main Coins Index page for acknowledgements

Help and Advice

If you wish to ask for advice, feel free to mail me via my Advice page but please do not send me unsolicited scans or other binary files.

I would also be grateful if you could search the site carefully before mailing me - the answers to the great majority of the questions that I am asked can be found on this site.

Decimal Coins of UK - 3 - The Decimal Penny / Copyright reserved by the author, Tony Clayton
v16a 28th October 2009