I Find British Money Confusing

debodun

debodun

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Location
way upstate in New York, USA
I was looking at my non-U.S. coin collection which I haven't in years. Apparently Great Britain has changed it's currency over the years. I have soem farthings, shillings, pence, then there new pennies and new pence. I'm so confused as how to sort them by denominational value.
 

debodun said:
I was looking at my non-U.S. coin collection which I haven't in years. Apparently Great Britain has changed it's currency over the years. I have soem farthings, shillings, pence, then there new pennies and new pence. I'm so confused as how to sort them by denominational value.
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We changed to Decimal coinage in 1971.... lol.. you're a little late catching up.....decimal means everything gets counted in 10's rather than 12's as before...


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10 pennies equal 10 p...
ten-pence-coin-isolated-over-260nw-314010293.jpg


10 x 10p = £1..00 ( 1 pound)....
stacks-of-new-pound-coins-lead.jpg


Our money consists of...

1p coin
2p Coin
5p coin ( silver)
10 p coin ( silver)
20p coin (7 sided heptagonal small silver)

50p coin ( 7 sided as above , silver)

£1..coin ( 12 sided gold colour nickel Brass..)
£2 coin - (Brass & copper gold coloured).....
the-edward-jenner-2-coin-range-bu-obverse-reverse.jpg


s682493831453539158_p67_i4_w1189.jpeg
 

Thanks for the numismatic lesson, hollydolly! I'll have to post some photos when I can get the coins in some semblance of organization. Th oldest one I have, as near as I can tell, is a penny from the reign of William IV. Not in the best condition.

Great Britain William IV.jpg
 
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Deb , have a look at this in todays' news...

Three rare British coins depicting past monarchs are tipped to sell for almost £1 million when they go under the hammer later this month.

Heritage Auctions has gathered the three extremely rare pieces - from the 15th, 17th and 19th centuries - for a bidding event later this month.

The three pieces depict monarchs Henry VII, a young Queen Victoria and Charles I.

Expected to get the most attention is the 1492 sovereign of 20 shillings depicting Henry VII, which is expected to fetch £390,000 when it is put up for sale.

It depicts the late 15th century monarch seated on a throne, and a large royal shield set atop a Tudor rose within floral treasure.
74295705-12404913-image-a-37_1692015929842.jpg


The Henry VII fine gold sovereign of 20 shillings, which is expected to fetch £390,000 when it goes under the hammer. It depicts the monarch sitting on a throne
74295709-12404913-image-a-38_1692015996210.jpg
The 'Victoria Una and the Lion' five pound coin depicts the monarch leading a lion representing the British Empire. It is expected to sell for £350,000

74295707-12404913-image-a-43_1692016162540.jpg

The reverse side of the coin depicts the young royal, who was 20 years old at the time it was struck

Also going under the hammer is a 1839 gold 'Victoria Una and the Lion' five pounds coin, which carries an estimate of £350,000.

It shows the 20-year-old monarch, who ascended to the throne two years earlier, leading a lion which represents the British Empire.

The reverse of the coin, of which only 400 were struck, carries a portrait of Victoria's head.

The coin was created by coin maker William Wyon, who was official chief engraver at the Royal Mint from 1828 until his death in 1851.

He depicted Queen Victoria as Una, the protagonist in the first volume of the Elizabethan poem 'The Faerie Queen' by Edmund Spencer.

In the 1590 poem, Una saves her parents' castle from a dragon and is the embodiment of 'truth'.
74295713-12404913-image-a-39_1692016040793.jpg
A coveted Charles I gold Triple Unite coin has been valued at £195,000. The inscription reads: 'let God rise and let his enemies be scattered'
74295719-12404913-image-a-40_1692016099351.jpg


The other side of the Charles I coin depicts the king holding a sword and an olive branch


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ch-tipped-sell-nearly-million-altogether.html


 

Debodun said, "I Find British Money Confusing."​


"You wouldn't if you had a huge garage full of British dosh, Deb." 😊
 
This is my understanding of pre-decimal British coins. If anyone sees any mistakes let us all know. Many remained in circulation after decimalisation. For example, a Shilling became 10 pennies instead of 12:
Farthing (Quarter of a Penny)

Half Penny (Ha'penny)

Penny

Threepence (Thruppence, Joey)

Sixpence (Tanner)

Shilling (Bob) [12 pennies]

Florin (Two Shillings) [24 pennies]

Half Crown (Two and Six, Two Shillings and Sixpence) [30 pennies]

Crown (Five Shillings) [60 pennies]

1 Pound (20 Shillings) [240 pennies]

Gold Sovereign. Had a nominal value of 1 Pound, but its value in terms of purchasing power was significantly higher, as it was made of gold. There is also the Half Sovereign.

To buy a Gold Sovereign now might cost between £400 and £3,000 depending on condition and rarity.



Imagine the confusion of American G.I.'s in Britain during WW2. "You remember Bob Hope, he used to play in those Bing Crosby pictures?"

 
Nice, but have you got a 1945 Silver George VI Threepence Coin?
On a similar theme, I have a couple of the stamps below in a small collection. A 1880 Queen Victoria £5 Orange, so how much in todays money did a person pay for it? Also I have several 1d Blacks, so was it cheaper to post a letter then, than now.

stamps two 2014 002.JPGIMG_6700.JPG
 
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Avon said:
Nice, but have you got a 1945 Silver George VI Threepence Coin?
On a similar theme, I have a couple of the stamps below in a small collection. A 1880 Queen Victoria £5 Orange, so how much in todays money did a person pay for it? Also I have several 1d Blacks, so was it cheaper to post a letter then, than now.

View attachment 299139View attachment 299140
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Whatver is in the album, but I don't think I have the coin you mentioned. I either acquired them by purchasing boxes of assorted coins are flea markets or from friends or co-workers who traveled overseas.
 
debodun said:
Whatver is in the album, but I don't think I have the coin you mentioned. I either acquired them by purchasing boxes of assorted coins are flea markets or from friends or co-workers who traveled overseas.
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Great Deb, just love collecting, keep it up. Had you been the owner of the 3d Joey I mentioned it would be worth about £45,000. All collections have their elusive little gems. Quite often in the UK somebody digs up a hoard of gold coins dating back perhaps 1000 years.

1933 George V penny

Arguably the most valuable one penny coin is the 1933 George V penny, which is worth an estimated value of £72,000. Although this was originally created as a pattern coin – which means it is not intended for release into circulation – it is believed seven were issued, making them extraordinarily rare.
 
This is a letter sent from Dundee, Scotland,UK in 1869 to San Francisco USA via New York. Do you think the Mail Man would find it today? Adding letters at that point in time were often sent to Italy, France etc with just a person's name and City.
IMG_2889.JPG
 
debodun said:
Whatver is in the album, but I don't think I have the coin you mentioned. I either acquired them by purchasing boxes of assorted coins are flea markets or from friends or co-workers who traveled overseas.
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Just about the most rare of British coins are the ones that were withdrawn following the abdication of Edward Vlll However, some managed to get into circulation. Find one of those and you can live like a monarch on the sale proceeds.
Edward Vlll.jpg
 
all this advice is worth a few bob. Though I thought Bob was my uncle. Very confusing.
 
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Remy said:
@hollydolly That one pound coin with the thistle, crown and clover is really pretty. Are those in circulation?

I like the state quarters in circulation here. This shows them. But I also think they have changed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/50_State_quarters
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Oh yes the Pound coin is very much in circulation Remy... I have several in my pocket right now.. The thistle represents Scotland.. the Leek, represents Wales, The Rose represent England and the Shamrock represents Northern Ireland...the 4 sovereignties of the United Kingdom
 

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