British Coins - a rich history of royalty and tradition
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British coins have been produced under the influence of a few different conquering nations and a long line of royalty. A rich history and the establishment and upkeep of British tradition make these coins an exciting prospect for many coin collectors.
British Coins from the Celts to the sovereign pound
Celts from the continent made their way over to southeast England at the beginning of the first century B.C., bringing with them the coinage which they had used and produced in France. By the time of Caesar’s Roman invasion in 55 B.C. British coins were minted throughout the southeast in copper, silver and bronze.
The silver penny was the first properly British coin, minted initially around 800 A.D and now quite rare. The penny was the only denomination minted until the reign of King Henry III in the 13 th Century. Smaller denominations of coinage were needed in Britain over these years which resulted in penny coins being cut in half (halfpennies) and quarters (farthings).
The traditional system of British currency was established in mediaeval times and continued strongly until decimalisation in 1971. The old penny, farthing, sovereign, pound, crown, shilling and guineas have all come and gone over the years under the rule of various kings and queens.
One monarch to establish herself in the development of British coins was Elizabeth I, who bravely recalled all silver coins of the time and replaced them with coins of a higher, more pure silver content. This era also lay the foundation for milled coinage, which became par for the course in 1662.
Centuries later Queen Victoria would make her mark on British coinage. 2,000 million coins were imprinted with Victoria’s portrait throughout her reign, among them some most highly sought after by collectors. Queen Victoria’s copper penny is referred to as one of the coin collecting world’s great beauties, as is the silver crown from her era. One of the most celebrated British coins is the gold sovereign, a classic bullion coin and one of the world’s most popular forms of currency.
While the Welsh never made their own coins before the English conquest, a mint opened in Aberystwyth in 1638 to make use of Welsh silver. The British Royal Mint was moved to Llantrisant in Glamorgan in 1968, and produces coins for all of Britain. Scottish King David I first started producing Scottish coins in 1136, which continued intermittently until the union of Scotland and England in 1707.
Current British coins are inscribed in Latin which translates as ‘Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, Queen and Defender of the Faith’.
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