"Twenty pence (Irish coin) The twenty pence (20p) () coin was a subdivision of the Irish pound. It was introduced on 30 October 1986. It was first Irish decimal coin that was of a different size to the corresponding British coin, as the Irish pound had not been pegged to the British pound since 1979. Its last issue was in 2000, two years before Ireland withdrew its pound for the euro. It features the horse (an Irish Hunter) that was on the pre-decimal half-crown coin, that was produced from 1928 to 1967. The coin has a yellow-brass colour due to"
"Currency Act 1982 The Currency Act 1982 (c 3) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Following Decimal Day in 1971, when the British monetary system changed from pound/shilling/penny to the metric £1 = 100p system, the new currency was known as the ""new pound"" and therefore the ""new pence"". By 1982, the use of ""new pence"" was out of use, and replaced with ""penny"". The Act sanctions the use of ""penny"" rather than ""new penny"" in common usage, such as on coins produced by the Royal Mint. The Act covers England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland."
"It is still in force unamended. Currency Act 1982 The Currency Act 1982 (c 3) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Following Decimal Day in 1971, when the British monetary system changed from pound/shilling/penny to the metric £1 = 100p system, the new currency was known as the ""new pound"" and therefore the ""new pence"". By 1982, the use of ""new pence"" was out of use, and replaced with ""penny"". The Act sanctions the use of ""penny"" rather than ""new penny"" in common usage, such as on coins produced by the Royal Mint. The Act covers"
"of all coins except the £2. The original intention was to exclude both the £1 and £2 coins from the redesign because they were ""relatively new additions"" to the coinage, but it was later decided to include the £1 coin. This was the first wholesale change to British coinage since the first decimal coins were introduced in April 1968. The new coins were initially to be put into circulation in early 2008, although they did not actually start to appear until mid-2008. The major design feature was the introduction of a reverse design shared across six coins (1p, 2p, 5p,"
"coins' designs. As of 31 March 2016, there were an estimated 30.14 billion coins circulating in the United Kingdom. The first decimal coins were circulated in 1968. These were the five pence (5p) and ten pence (10p), and had values of one shilling (1/-) and two shillings (2/-), respectively, under the pre-decimal £sd system. The decimal coins are minted in copper-plated steel (previously bronze), nickel-plated steel, cupronickel and nickel-brass. The two-pound coins, and, as from 28 March 2017 the new one-pound coins, are bimetallic. The coins are discs, except for the twenty pence and fifty pence pieces, both of which"
"½, 1, 2, 5 and 10 pence coins were introduced. 50 pence coins were introduced in 1980, followed by 20 pence in 1982, 1 pound in 1987 and a circulating 2 pounds in 2004. The ½ penny coin was last issued in 1983 and was demonetised shortly after. Smaller versions of the 5p, 10p and 50p, corresponding to the current UK issues, were issued in 1998, replacing the larger versions (which for the 5p was eight years after its introduction in the UK). The introduction of the circulation £2 coin in 2004 was six years after the same coin was"
"the run-up to decimalisation, the halfpenny and half-crown were demonetised in 1969. British coinage timeline: At present, the oldest circulating coins in the UK are the 1p and 2p copper coins introduced in 1971. No other coins from before 1982 are in circulation. Prior to the demonetisation of the larger 10p in 1993, the oldest circulating coins had usually dated from 1947: although older coins (shilling; florin, sixpence to 1980) were still legal tender, inflation meant that their silver content was worth more than their face value, which meant that they tended to be removed from circulation. Before decimalisation in"
"Penny (English coin) The English penny (plural ""pence""), originally a coin of pure silver, was introduced around the year 785 by King Offa of Mercia. These coins were similar in size and weight to the continental ""deniers"" of the period and to the Anglo-Saxon sceats which had preceded it. Throughout the period of the Kingdom of England, from its beginnings in the 9th century, the penny was produced in silver. Pennies of the same nominal value, one 240th of a pound sterling, were in circulation continuously until the creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The name ""penny"""
"the Guernsey cow. As in the UK, 5- and 10-new-pence coins were introduced in 1968, followed by 50-new-pence coins in 1969, before decimalisation took place in 1971 and the ½-, 1- and 2-new-pence coins were introduced. These coins were the same size and composition as the corresponding British coins. The word ""new"" was dropped in 1977. The £1 coin was introduced in 1981, two years before its introduction in the UK, although the 20-pence and £2 coins were introduced at the same time as in the UK: 1982 and 1998, respectively. The thickness of the 1981 coin was significantly thinner"
"Coins of the pound sterling The standard circulating coinage of the United Kingdom is denominated in pounds sterling (symbol ""£""), and, since the introduction of the two-pound coin in 1994 (to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Bank of England 1694–1994), ranges in value from one penny to two pounds. Since decimalisation, on 15 February 1971, the pound has been divided into 100 (new) pence. From the 16th century until decimalisation, the pound was divided into 20 shillings, each of 12 (old) pence. British coins are minted by the Royal Mint in Llantrisant, Wales. The Royal Mint also commissions the"
"Two pounds (British coin) The British two pound (£2) coin is a denomination of the pound sterling. Its obverse has featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the coin’s introduction. Three different portraits of the Queen have been used, with the current design by Jody Clark being introduced in 2015. The reverse design features Britannia. The coin was introduced on 15 June 1998 (coins minted 1997) after a review of the United Kingdom's coinage decided that a general-circulation £2 coin was needed. The new bi-metallic coin design replaced a series of commemorative, uni-metallic coins which were issued between 1986"
"remain valid back to 1971, the only circulating coins valid on Decimal Day still to be valid. In 1982, the word ""new"" in ""new penny"" or ""new pence"" was removed from the inscriptions on coins, to be replaced by the number of pence in the denomination (i.e. ""ten pence"" or ""fifty pence""). This coincided with the introduction of a new 20p coin, which, from the outset, simply bore the legend ""twenty pence"". A £1 coin was introduced in 1983, and a £2 coin in 1997. When the old pounds, shillings, and pence system was in operation, the United Kingdom and"
"coin in common circulation in the UK. The coin consists of an outer yellow metal nickel-brass ring made from 76% copper, 20% zinc, and 4% nickel, and an inner steel-coloured cupro-nickel disc made from 75% copper, 25% nickel. The coin weighs and is in diameter. The design itself was first tried out in 1994 when the Royal Mint produced a short run of demonstration pieces to the new bi-metal standard. These pieces were not for circulation and were simply intended to test the manufacturing process. The coin was technically similar to the version which eventually entered circulation with the Maklouf"
"with retailers and other groups it was announced on 31 July 1981 that the one pound note would be replaced by a one pound coin. Part of the reason for this change was that notes, on average, lasted only nine months in general circulation, while coins could last forty years or more. The government also believed that the growing vending industry would benefit from the introduction of a one-pound coin. The new cupro-nickel coin was introduced on 21 April 1983 and the one pound note ceased to be legal tender on 11 March 1988. Bank of England £1 notes are"
"Commemorative coins of the United Kingdom Commemorative coins have been issued by the Royal Mint in the United Kingdom since 1935. Initially they only came out to mark events of great interest, but since the turn of the millennium have been minted yearly. Until decimalisation crowns (five shilling coins) were used for this purpose as they were the highest denomination of the time, but due to inflation this rôle has been transferred to higher value coins. Crowns, £5 Coins and (until 1996) £2 Coins are non-circulating, although they are still legal tender. These denominations are only used for commemoratives. During"
"Penny (British decimal coin) The British decimal one penny (1p) coin, usually simply known as a penny, is a unit of currency equaling one one-hundredth of a pound sterling. The penny’s symbol is p. Its obverse has featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the coin’s introduction on 15 February 1971, the day British currency was decimalised. Four different portraits of the Queen have been used on the coin, with the latest design by Jody Clark being introduced in 2015. The second and current reverse, featuring a segment of the Royal Shield, was introduced in 2008. The correct plural"
"Two pence (British decimal coin) The British decimal two pence (2p) coin – often informally pronounced ""two pee"" – is a unit of currency equalling 2/100ths of a pound sterling. Its obverse has featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the coin's introduction on 15 February 1971, the year British currency was decimalised. Four different portraits of the Queen have been used on the coin, with the latest design by Jody Clark being introduced in 2015. The second and current reverse, featuring a segment of the Royal Shield, was introduced in 2008. One penny and two pence coins are"
"Shilling (British coin) The shilling (1/-) was a coin worth one twentieth of a pound sterling, or twelve pence. It was first minted in the reign of Henry VII as the testoon, and became known as the shilling from the Old English scilling, sometime in the mid-sixteenth century, circulating until 1990. The word ""bob"" was sometimes used for a monetary value of several shillings, e.g. ""ten bob note"". Following decimalisation on 15 February 1971 the coin had a value of five new pence. It was made from silver from its introduction in or around 1503 until 1947, and thereafter in"
"in 1957. It has been struck since then both as a bullion coin and, beginning in 1979, for collectors. Though the sovereign is no longer in circulation, it is still legal tender in the United Kingdom. There had been an English coin known as the sovereign, first authorised by Henry VII in 1489. It had a diameter of , and weighed , twice the weight of the existing gold coin, the ryal. The new coin was struck in response to a large influx of gold into Europe from West Africa in the 1480s, and Henry at first called it the"
"Crown (British coin) The British crown, the successor to the English crown and the Scottish dollar, came into being with the Union of the kingdoms of England and Scotland in 1707. As with the English coin, its value was five shillings. Always a heavy silver coin weighing around one ounce, during the 19th and 20th centuries the crown declined from being a real means of exchange to being a coin rarely spent and minted for commemorative purposes only. In that format it has continued to be minted, even following decimalisation of the British currency in 1971. However, as the result"
"Five pence (British coin) The British decimal five pence (5p) coin – often pronounced ""five pee"" – is a unit of currency equaling five one-hundredths of a pound sterling. Its obverse has featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the coin’s introduction on 23 April 1968, replacing the shilling in preparation for decimalisation in 1971. A smaller version of the coin was introduced in June 1990 with the older coins being withdrawn on 31 December 1990. Four different portraits of the Queen have been used, with the latest design by Jody Clark being introduced in 2015. The second and"
"Sixpence (British coin) The sixpence (6d; ), sometimes known as a tanner or sixpenny bit, is a coin that was worth one-fortieth of a pound sterling, or six pence. It was first minted in the reign of Edward VI and circulated until 1980. Following decimalisation in 1971 it had a value of new pence. The coin was made from silver from its introduction in 1551 to 1947, and thereafter in cupronickel. Prior to Decimal Day in 1971 there were 240 pence in one pound sterling. Twelve pence made a shilling, and twenty shillings made a pound. Values less than a"
"15 February 1971, when the decimal coinage was released into circulation (although 5p, 10p, and 50p coins were released a few years earlier, as they had exact equivalents in old currency units). Decimalisation would have provided an ideal opportunity to break the link with Sterling, but there was not much demand for this at that time. In 1972 however, the Bretton Woods system of fixed exchange rates broke down, and in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis inflation in Britain increased dramatically, and economic theory would suggest that a smaller economy whose currency is pegged to a larger one"
"Proof mintages are indicated in ""italics"". Half crown (British coin) The half crown was a denomination of British money, equivalent to two shillings and sixpence, or one-eighth of a pound. The half crown was first issued in 1549, in the reign of Edward VI. No half crowns were issued in the reign of Mary, but from the reign of Elizabeth I half crowns were issued in every reign except Edward VIII, until the coins were discontinued in 1967. The half crown was demonetised (ahead of other pre-decimal coins) on 1 January 1970, the year before the United Kingdom adopted decimal"
"coin. These varied between denominations and issues; some were personal to the monarch, others were more general. Some of the mottos were: Coins of the pound sterling The standard circulating coinage of the United Kingdom is denominated in pounds sterling (symbol ""£""), and, since the introduction of the two-pound coin in 1994 (to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Bank of England 1694–1994), ranges in value from one penny to two pounds. Since decimalisation, on 15 February 1971, the pound has been divided into 100 (new) pence. From the 16th century until decimalisation, the pound was divided into 20 shillings,"
"orb and sceptre, with the legend , while the reverse shows a crowned shield within a double rose and the legend . Since 1986 circulating £2 coins have been produced in cupronickel, and equivalent strikings in gold have been produced. For other denominations, please see British coinage. Two pounds (British gold coin) A Two Pound coin was an occasional feature of the British currency from 1823 until 1996, and being minted each year since 1997. With the exception of proof coins issued in 1824, 1825, 1826, and 1831, the design of the reverse always featured the ""George and Dragon"" of"
"of inflation the value of the coin was revised upwards in 1990 to five pounds. The coin's origins lay in the English silver crown, one of many silver coins that appeared in various countries from the 16th century onwards, the most famous example perhaps being the famous Spanish pieces of eight, all of which were of a similar size and weight (approx 38mm diameter and containing approx 25 grams of fine silver) and thus interchangeable in international trade. The kingdom of England also minted gold Crowns in the 16th and 17th centuries. The dies for all gold and silver coins"
"Sovereign (British coin) The sovereign is a gold coin of the United Kingdom, with a nominal value of one pound sterling. Struck from 1817 until the present time, it was originally a circulating coin accepted in Britain and elsewhere in the world; it is now a bullion coin and is sometimes mounted in jewellery. In most recent years, it has borne the well-known design of Saint George and the Dragon on the reverse—the initials () of the designer, Benedetto Pistrucci, may be seen to the right of the date. The coin was named after the English gold sovereign, last minted"
"the only denomination of coin minted in England for 500 years, until the attempted gold coinage issue of King Henry III in 1257 and a few halfpennies and farthings in 1222, the introduction of the groat by King Edward I in 1279, under whom the halfpenny and farthing were also reintroduced, and the later issues of King Edward III. At the time of the 1702 London Mint Assay by Sir Isaac Newton, the silver content of British coinage was defined to be one troy ounce of sterling silver for 62 pence. Therefore, the value of the monetary pound sterling was"
"Bank of England £1 note The Bank of England £1 note was a banknote of the pound sterling. After the ten shilling note was withdrawn in 1970 it became the smallest denomination note issued by the Bank of England. The one pound note was issued by the Bank of England for the first time in 1797 and continued to be printed until 1984. The note was withdrawn in 1988 in favour of the one pound coin. One pound notes were introduced by the Bank of England for the first time in 1797, following gold shortages caused by the French Revolutionary"
"Halfpenny (British decimal coin) The British decimal halfpenny (p) coin was introduced in February 1971, at the time of decimalisation, and was worth one two-hundredth of a pound sterling. It was ignored in banking transactions, which were carried out in units of 1p. The decimal halfpenny had the same value as 1.2 pre-decimal pence, and was introduced to enable the prices of some low-value items to be more accurately translated to the new decimal currency. The possibility of setting prices including an odd half penny also made it more practical to retain the pre-decimal sixpence in circulation (with a value"
"Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin) The British pre-decimal halfpenny (d) coin, usually simply known as a halfpenny (pronounced ), historically occasionally also as the obol, was a unit of currency that equalled half of a penny or of a pound sterling. Originally the halfpenny was minted in copper, but after 1860 it was minted in bronze. It ceased to be legal tender in 1969, in the run-up to decimalisation. The halfpenny featured two different designs on its reverse during its years in circulation. From 1672 until 1936 the image of Britannia appeared on the reverse, and from 1937 onwards the image"
"designs as ""iconic themes that are quintessentially British"". Ten pence (British coin) The British decimal ten pence (10p) coin – often pronounced ""ten pee"" – is a unit of currency equalling ten one-hundredths of a pound sterling. Its obverse has featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the coin's introduction in 1968, replacing the florin coin in preparation for decimalisation in 1971. Four different portraits of the Queen have been used on the coin, with the latest design by Jody Clark being introduced in 2015. The second and current reverse, featuring a segment of the Royal Shield, was introduced"