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The British penny (1 ⁄ 240 of a pound sterling), a large, pre-decimal coin which continued the series of pennies which began in about the year 700, [1] was struck intermittently during the 20th century until its withdrawal from circulation after 1970.
The British decimal one penny (1p) coin is a unit of currency and denomination of sterling coinage worth 1 ⁄ 100 of one pound.Its obverse featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the coin's introduction on 15 February 1971, the day British currency was decimalised, until her death on 8 September 2022.
The penny is inscribed GEORGIUS IV DEI GRATIA [g] and the date, while the reverse shows a right-facing seated Britannia with a shield and trident, inscribed BRITANNIAR REX FID DEF. [h] The penny at this time weighed 18.8 grams and had a diameter of 34 millimetres, the same as Boulton's 1806–1807 pennies. [18]
A coin of half a new penny, a halfpenny, was introduced to maintain the approximate granularity of the old penny, but was dropped in 1984 as inflation reduced its value. An old value of 7 pounds, 10 shillings, and sixpence, abbreviated £7-10-6 or £7:10s:6d. became £7.52 1 / 2 p .
The half farthing ( 1 / 8 of a penny, 1 / 1920 of a pound) coin was initially minted in 1828 for use in Ceylon, but was declared legal tender in the United Kingdom in 1842. [61] The third farthing ( 1 / 12 of a penny, 1 / 2880 of a pound) coin was minted for use in Malta, starting in 1827. [61]
The Flemish groat approximately matched the English penny c 1420-1480 and was divided into 24 mites. The latter was thus extended to mean 1 / 24 penny or 1 / 6 farthing even if not minted in Tudor England. [2] [3] Quarter farthing 1 / 16 d: £0.00026: 1839–1868. [coins 1] Third farthing 1 / 12 d: £0.0003472 ...
Penny is first attested in a 1394 Scots text, [n 1] a variant of Old English peni, a development of numerous variations including pennig, penning, and pending. [n 2] The etymology of the term "penny" is uncertain, although cognates are common across almost all Germanic languages [n 3] and suggest a base *pan-, *pann-, or *pand-with the individualizing suffix -ing.
The English penny (plural "pence"), originally a coin of 1.3 to 1.5 grams (0.042 to 0.048 troy ounces; 0.046 to 0.053 ounces) pure silver, was introduced c. 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.