Penny Coins

The Penny is one of the oldest British coins that first appeared in the 8th century A.D. However it wasn't until 755 when King Eadgar became the King Of England that the silver one penny coin became universal throughout the country. In fact, until the reign of Henry III it was more or less the only denomination been minted. 

The first copper penny was the Cartwheel Penny famously struck by Matthew Boulton at the Soho Mint in Birmingham 1797, during the reign ofGeorge III. It weighed a full one ounce (28.3g) with a diameter of 36mm, and was a very heavy coin to carry in the pocket. Many of these have survived as they were often used as weights for kitchen scales.

A switch was made to bronze in 1860, with the introduction of what has always been known as the Bun Penny. The diameter was reduced from 34 mm to 30.81 mm, and the thickness was also significantly reduced. The new coin was half the weight of the old at 9.4g, and was officially coined at 48 pence to the pound. These dimensions remained the same until 1970.

The silver penny is still minted for the Maundy Ceremony where the Queen gives a number of pensioners a quantity of silver coins specially minted for the purpose in a white purse. The coins are 1p, 2p, 3p and 4p denomination, and the total number of pence given to each pensioner also corresponds to the age of the Queen.

Our website contains sources for all the different collectable penny coins, it is constantly being updated with the latest penny coins for sale. We will also be adding Gold Sovereigns to the site in the near future. We aim to be a comprehensive resource for old coin investing and collectors looking for value and price information. Please be sure to bookmark us and check before buying your next pennies.