Old British Coins

Oct 11, 2018 (Image: Old Currency Exchange) Like the George V penny above, these three pence coins were also pattern coins – a coin not approved for general release; instead made for the purpose of seeing. We Have Some Very Old British Coins for Sale. We know that this is something our usual clients have grown accustomed to. But a new website user might be surprised by some of the items we have. Particularly with the coins under the sub-category Rare British Coins, where we feature one-of-a-kind coins. A George III Halfcrown with a rainbow. Wondering what an old coin from the United Kindom might be worth? Values, images, and specifications for coins from the UK, Great Britain, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, crown dependancies and colonies of the former British Empire.

British pennies are some of the most widely collected copper coins in the world, and they even have a place in the hearts of many coin collectors in the United States, whose residents use the one-cent coin – which is mistakenly referred to as a 'penny.'

While the United States does not officially mint a denomination known as the 'penny,' Great Britain does, and the legacy of the penny goes back a long way. Anglo-Saxon King Offa introduced a silver coin known as the penny circa 790 A.D., and the denomination became a copper coin in 1797.

Old British pennies are fairly common and they are widely collected. And, because they are immensely well known in pop culture, pennies are one of the most important coins a hobbyist can collect.

British pennies are remarkably easy to find at United States coin shops. They're also sold by countless coin dealers on eBay, making these coins from 'across the pond' accessible to even the least of American jet setters.

There are many American collectors who dedicate their time and efforts toward collecting pennies from Great Britain. Part of the fun comes in knowing that many British pennies, especially those made since the 1890s, are quite affordable. While there are several scarce British pennies, few are considerably rare.

Here's a rundown on the most rare and valuable British pennies and what they're worth:


  • 1827 George VI
  • 1843 (no colon after 'REG')
  • 1860 copper
  • 1862 small date
  • 1863 with die number near date
  • 1869
  • 1882
  • 1933
  • 1952
  • 1954


There are several rare dates above, but most pennies are struck into the millions each year, and the mintages, or production quantities, of most British pennies easily run into the multiple millions. In addition to the scarce dates, various British kings and queens have reigned on the obverses of various large cents. These include:


  • George III
  • George IV
  • William IV
  • Queen Victoria
  • King George V
  • King George VI
  • Elizabeth II


While it's certainly easier than ever to buy the British pennies you want thanks to the convenience of the internet. And the cost? Well, they're mostly cheaper than $20 each, and many common dates from the 1900s can be bought for less than $1 to $5 apiece. The large penny was last minted in 1970, the last full year before the British transitioned to decimalized currency – in this case 100 pennies now equaling a pound.

But what really awaits the British coin collector, especially one living in the United States who may not necessarily have the resources one could who lives in Britain and also collects coins? There are various British penny coin folders and albums around. However, most of these are used – it's hard to find new coin folders for British pennies. Ditto on the general availability for coin new British coin albums.

And who says you need an album or folder for storing British pennies? Inert flips and 2x2 holders work well, too.

You can collect them by date, and building a year set of copper British pennies provides a challenging objective for even the most financially well-heeled of collectors. Other popular collecting strategies include building a set of British pennies based on the appearance of a certain royal effigy (such as King George VI or Elizabeth II on the obverse of the pennies) or a type set consisting of one penny bearing the likeness of each ruler. The possibilities are totally up to you.

So, what are you waiting for? Regardless of how you build your collection of British pennies, they're sure to make a great addition to any cabinet.

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ONLINE COINS CATALOG

Kingdom of England (825-1707)

Crown=5 shillings; Shilling=12 pence; Penny=4 farthings

Henry III (1216-1272)


1 penny without date
silver
HENRI ON LVNDE
HENRICVS REX III
Coin value - $35-45

Edward I (1272-1307)


1 penny without date
silver
LONDON CIVITAS
EDWA R ANGL DNS HYB
Coin value - $35-45

Edward III (1327-1377)


half groat (2 pence) without date
silver
POSVI DEUM ADIVTOREM MEUM / LONDON CIVITAS
EDWARDVS REX ANGL DNS HYB
Coin value - $80-100
half penny without date
silver
CIVITAS LONDON
EDWARDVS REX
Coin value - $30-40

Henry VIII (1509-1547)


half groat (2 pence) without date(1526-44)
silver
CIVITAS EBORACI
HENRIC VIII D GR AGL Z FR
Coin value - $40-60

Elizabeth I (1558-1603)


1 shilling without date
silver
POSVIDEV ADIVTOREM MEV
ELIZAB D G ANG FR ET HIB REGI
Coin value - $50-60
6 pence 156(0-1
)
silver
POSVIDEV ADIVTOREM MEV / 156(?)
ELIZABET D G ANG FR ET HI REGINA
Coin value - $50-60
6 pence 1581
silver
POSVIDEV ADIVTOREM MEV / 1581
ELIZABET D G ANG FR ET HI REGINA
Coin value - $80-100
half groat (2 pence) 1591

silver
CIVITAS LONDON
E D G ROSA SINE SPINA
Coin value - $30-40
1 penny without date (1560-1561)
silver
CIVITAS LONDON
E D G ROSA SINE SPINA
Coin value - $60-70

Charles I (1625-1649)


half groat (2 pence) 1637
silver
IVSTITIA THRONVM FIRMAT
CAROLVS D G M R F ET H REX
Coin value - $25-35
1 penny without date
Old British Coinssilver
IVSTITIA THRONVM FIRMAT
CAROLVS D G M R F ET H REX
Coin value - $25-30
farthing without date
copper
CAROLV D G MA BRI
FRA ET HI REX
Coin value - $30-35

James II (1685-1688)


4 pence 1686

silver
MAG BR FRA ET HIB REX 1686 / IIII
DEI GRATIA IACOBVS II
Coin value - $45-55
3 pence 1687

silver
MAG BR FRA ET HIB REX 1687 / III
DEI GRATIA IACOBVS II
Coin value - $70-100

William III of Orange and Mary II (1688-1694)


half penny 1694

copper
BRITANNIA / 1694
GVLIELMVS ET MARIA
Coin value - $10-15

William III of Orange (1694-1702)


4 pence 1698

silver
4 / 1698 / MAG BR FRA ET HIB REX
GVLIELMVS III DEI GRA
Coin value - $30-50

Kingdom of Scotland

Crown=5 shillings; Shilling=12 pence; Penny=4 farthings

Charles II king of England (1649-1685)


6 pence (bawbee) 1679
copper
NEMO ME IMPVNE LAGESSET 1679
CAR II D G SCO AN FR ET HIB R
Coin value - $15-20

Kingdom of the Great Britain (1707-1800)

Crown=5 shillings; Florin=2 shillings; Shilling=12 pence; Penny=4 farthings

George II (1727-1760)


1 shilling 1758

silver
M B F ET H REX F D B ET L D S R I A T ET E 1758
GEORGIVS II DEI GRATIA
Coin value - $45-55
half penny 1742

copper
BRITANNIA / 1742
GEORGIVS II REX
Coin value - $10-15

George III as king of Great Britain (1760-1800)


1 shilling 1787

silver
M B F ET H REX F D B ET L D S R I A T ET E 1787
GEORGIVS III DEI GRATIA
Coin value - $35-45
3 pence 1762

silver
3 / MAG BRI FR ET HIB REX 1762
GEORGIVS III DEI GRATIA
Coin value - $35-45
penny ('cartwheel penny') 1797

copper
BRITANNIA / 1797
GEORGIUS III D G REX
Coin value - $10-15
half penny 177 (1-5)

copper
BRITANNIA / 177..
GEORGIVS III REX
Coin value - $6-10

United Kingdom of the Great Britain and Ireland (1800-1922)

Crown=5 shillings; Florin=2 shillings; Shilling=12 pence; Penny=4 farthings (till 1968)

George III as king of United Kingdom (1800-1820)


1 crown 1819

silver
HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE
GEORGIUS III D G BRITANNIARUM REX F D / 1819
Coin value - $40-50
half crown 1819

silver
BRITANNIARUM REX FID DEI
GEORGIUS III DEI GRATIA / 1819
Coin value - $80-100
1 penny 1806

copper
BRITANNIA
GEORGIVS III D G REX / 1806
Coin value - $3-4
half penny 1807

copper
BRITANNIA
GEORGIVS IIII D G REX / 1807
Coin value - $1-3
1 farthing 1806

copper
BRITANNIA
GEORGIVS IIII D G REX / 1806
Coin value - $3-4

George IV (1820-1830)


1 crown 1821

silver
1821
GEORGIUS IIII D G BRITANNIARUM REX F D
Coin value - $30-40
1 shilling 1827

silver
BRITANNIARUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR
GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA / 1827
Coin value - $30-40
half penny 1827

copper
BRITANNIAR REX FID DEF
GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA / 1827
Coin value - $12-17
1 farthing 1826

copper
BRITANNIAR REX FID DEF
GEORGIUS IIII DEI GRATIA / 1826
Coin value - $6-8

William IV (1830-1837)


6 pence 1836

silver
SIX PENCE 1836
GULIELMUS IIII D G BRITANNIAR REX F D
Coin value - $35-45
1 farthing 1831

copper
BRITANNIAR REX FID DEF
GULIELMUS IIII DEI GRATIA
Coin value - $8-12

Victoria (1837-1901)


1 crown 1889

silver
1889
VICTORIA D G BRITT REG F D
Coin value - $30-40
half crown 1889

silver
BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID DEF /1889
VICTORIA DEI GRATIA DEI GRATIA
Coin value - $10-15
half crown 1898

silver
FID DEF IND IMP / HALF1889 CROWN
VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REG
Coin value - $10-15
1 florin 1872

silver
ONE FLORIN / ONE TENTH OF A POUND
VICTORIA D G BRITT REG F D MDCCCLXXII
Coin value - $25-35
1 florin 1895

silver
ONE FLORIN TWO SHILLINGS / 1895
VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP
Coin value - $10-15
1 shilling 1875

silver
ONE SHILLING / 1875
VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITANNIAR REG F D
Coin value - $10-15
1 shilling 1890

silver
HONI SOIT OUIMAL Y PENSI / 1890
VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITT REGINA F D
Coin value - $35-40
1 shilling 1893

silver
ONE SHILLING / 1893
VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP
Coin value - $15-20
6 pence 1846

silver
SIX PENCE / 1846

Old British Coins Crossword


VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITANNIAR REG F D
Coin value - $8-10
6 pence 1886

silver
SIX PENCE / 1886
VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITANNIAR REG F D
Coin value - $10-15
6 pence 1889

silver
SIX PENCE / 1888
VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITT REGINA F D
Coin value - $10-15
4 pence 1848

silver
FOUR PENCE / 1848
VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITANNIAR REG F D
Coin value - $8-10
3 pence 1877

silver
3 / 1877
VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITANNIAR REGINA F D
Coin value - $8-12
3 pence 1891

silver
3 / 1891
VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITT REGINA F D
Coin value - $10-12
3 pence 1898

silver
3 / 1898
VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP
Coin value - $8-10
2 pence 1838

silver
2 / 1838Retrowow
VICTORIA D G BRITANNIAR REGINA F D
Coin value - $35-40
1 penny 1853

bronze
BRITANNIAR REG FID DEF
VICTORIA DEI GRATIA / 1853
Coin value - $5-8
1 penny 1862

bronze
ONE PENNY / 1862
VICTORIA D G BRITT REG F D
Coin value - $3-5
1 penny 1896

bronze
ONE PENNY / 1896
VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP
Coin value - $3-4
half penny 1854

bronze
BRITANNIAR REG FID DEF
VICTORIA DEI GRATIA / 1854
Coin value - $8-12
half penny 1862

bronze
HALF PENNY / 1862
VICTORIA D G BRITT REG F D
Coin value - $6-8
half penny 1897

bronze
HALF PENNY / 1897
VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP
Coin value - $6-8
1 farthing 1854

copper
BRITANNIAR REG FID DEF
VICTORIA DEI GRATIA / 1854
Coin value - $6-10
1 farthing 1862

bronze
FARTHING / 1862
VICTORIA D G BRITT REG F D
Coin value - $4-7
1 farthing 1890

bronze
FARTHING / 1890
VICTORIA D G BRITT REG F D
Coin value - $3-6
1 farthing 1898

bronze
FARTHING / 1898
VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP

Reference


Coin value - $3-5
1/2 farthing 1844

Full List Of Great Britain Coins | Coinscatalog.NET

copper

Old British Coins Pennies

HALF FARTHING / 1844

Old British Coins Images

VICTORIA D G BRITANNIAR REGINA

Old British Coins On Ebay


Coin value - $8-12

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See other British coins:
United Kingdom till 1952
United Kingdom from 1952