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Please note that we are not experts in British currency.
We do not deal in British coinage, nor are we able to
recommend numismatic dealers.
We cannot provide the value of
British currency.
This page is provided solely as a reference to better
understand British
money in an historical context.
For more information on British coins, for sale and
otherwise,
click on this link to
Bcoin.
Since 1971 British money has been calculated on the decimal system,
with
a standardized scheme
of
100
pence to the pound. However,
previous to 1971 there were many British
coins with exotic
names
and confusing conversions. We've tried to
list them all
(there are over 50!) in the chart below,
with
their conversions into today's
post-1971 decimal system
noted in italicized parentheses and
their
old (pre-1971)equivalencies listed in non-italicized text.
Coins that
had earlier and different values
have those values
listed with the time period to which the values are
appropriate.
Units of specie are listed alphabetically.
In
pre-decimalization, a sum would normally be written
pounds, shillings, pence (£sd).
Thus, £2. 19s. 3d.
would be 2 pounds, 19 shillings, 3 pence. This
would be spoken as
"two pounds nineteen and three."
If dealing only in shillings and pence,
a sum would be written as 2s. 6d., or 2/6, and spoken as "two and six."
Coins after decimalization
carried the term
"New
pence" (removed in 1982) to
differentiate them from
the old,
pre-1971 decimal coins.
All UK coinage carries (and has for centuries) the Latin
inscription
D.G. REG (or REX, when
the monarch is a king), F.D.,
followed by the date. This stands for
"Dei Gratia"
("by the Grace
of God, Queen"), "Fidei Defensor" ("Defender of the Faith"), and the date. Coins minted during
the Raj have a bit more text:
"D:G:BR:OMN:REX F:D:IND:IMP," which stands for the Latin
"Dei Gratia Britanniae omnis Rex, Fidei Defensor, Indiae
Imperator," which translates
"By the Grace of God, King of all the Britons, Defender of the Faith,
Emperor of India."
This phrasing was dropped in 1947 when India was given independence.
This inscription was not
consistent throughout reigns;
the penny
of
1750 states only "GEORGIUS II REX."
Some coins have images available; to see these,
click on the word
"Image" below the coin name.
If you know of a coin we've left out, or have a correction,
please shoot us an email.
Click Here to Email Us
Click here
to go to the website of The Royal Mint.
For more information on British coins, for sale and
otherwise,
click on this link to
Bcoin.
The DiCamillo Companion is not
affiliated with, nor receives any compensation from,
The Royal Mint or Bcoin.
These links are provided only as a service to
users
of The DiCamillo Companion website.
To use a chart that allows you to compare the purchasing power
of
money
in Great Britain from 1264 to any other year,
including the present,
click here
To see today's conversion rate of the British
pound,
click on this
link to Yahoo Currency
Conversion
| Unit | Equivalency |
Notes |
|
Angel |
10 shillings. |
Former gold coin. Last minted in 1642. Also an earlier former gold coin in the 15th century. The coin was called an angel because it featured the archangel Michael on the reverse. |
|
Bob |
1 shilling |
Slang term for a shilling, a former coin, removed from circulation in 1971. Abbreviated with an "s." |
|
Broad |
20 shillings, or 1 pound |
A former milled gold coin issued only in the year 1656 (during the Commonwealth). The obverse depicts the Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell, as a laureated Roman emperor, with the inscription OLIVAR D G R P ANG SCO HIB &c PRO (Oliver, by the Grace of God, Protector of the Republic of England, Scotland, Ireland, etc.), while the reverse shows a crowned shield depicting the arms of the Commonwealth with the inscription PAX QVAERITVR BELLO 1656 (Peace is sought through war, 1656). |
|
Copper |
|
Slang term for a penny, which was once made of copper (since 1992 it's been made of copper-plated steel). The term is still heard today as slang for the 2-pence and the 1-pence (penny) coins. |
|
|
5 shillings |
Former coin. The Royal Mint continues to issue proof crowns (worth £5) for collectors. |
|
Dollar |
Slang term for a crown | |
|
Double |
4 shillings, or 1/5 of a pound |
Former coin issued for one year only (1887) to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. |
|
Double |
See Two Guinea | |
|
Double |
|
See Florin |
|
|
¼ penny (pence) |
Former copper coin |
|
Five Guinea Piece |
105 shillings, or 5 pounds and 25 shillings |
Former gold coin, minted from 1668 until 1753. During the 17th and 18th centuries it was also known as a five pound piece. The value of the guinea had fluctuated over the years from 20 to 30 shillings; a Royal Proclamation of December 1717 fixed the value of the guinea at 21 shillings. The five guinea piece is considered by numismatists to be one of the most impressive pieces of British coinage ever produced. |
|
Florin |
2 shillings. 72 pence, or 6 shillings in the 14th century.
|
Former coin. After the 1971 decimalization act the florin was reclassified as being worth 10 pence and the coin continued to circulate. In 1993 the florin was withdrawn from circulation; it had been replaced in 1992 by the new, smaller 10 pence coin, still in circulation today. An earlier version of the florin existed in the 14th century; it was a gold coin introduced by Edward III in 1344 in an attempt to produce coinage suitable for use in Europe as well as in England. The gold used to strike the coins was overvalued, which resulted in the them being unacceptable to merchants, and the florin was withdrawn after only a few months in circulation; it was replaced the same year by the noble. The florin was based on a French coin and ultimately was probably based on the fiorino, a gold coin struck in Florence in 1252. Few specimens survive of the English florin, a coin that numismatists regard as one of the most beautiful medieval English coins ever produced. |
|
Forty Shilling Piece |
See Two Guinea | |
|
Gold Penny |
20 silver pence in the 13th century |
Former gold coin, used from 1257-79. Henry III introduced the gold penny, which was twice the weight of a silver penny and valued at 20 silver pence. It was not popular and was only minted for a short time. |
|
Groat |
4 pence, or 1/3 of a shilling |
Former silver coin, used from the 14th to the 17th century. Used later as Maundy Money (see Twopence for more information on Maundy Money). |
|
Guinea |
1 pound and 1 shilling, or 21 shillings |
Former gold coin, originally made of gold from the Guinea coast of Africa. The guinea came into existence in 1663, under Charles II; when first issued they were worth one pound, or twenty shillings. The value of the guinea had fluctuated over the years from 20 to 30 shillings. A Royal Proclamation of December 1717 fixed the value of the guinea at 21 shillings. In the Great Recoinage of 1816, the guinea was replaced as the major unit of currency by the pound. Although the last guinea was minted in 1813, the guinea as a monetary unit continued until decimalization in 1971. Auction houses, in particular, used to denominate all their bidding in guineas. |
|
Half |
40 pence, or 3 shillings and 4 pence in the 15th century |
Former gold coin |
|
|
2 shillings and 6 pence |
Former coin. Removed from circulation in 1970. |
|
Half |
1/8th of a penny (pence) or 1/1,920th of a pound |
Former copper coin originally produced for circulation in Ceylon (then a British colony, today the independent nation of Sri Lanka). The half farthing was minted intermittently between 1828 and 1856. On June 13, 1842 the coin was made legal tender in Britain, as well as Ceylon. |
|
Half Florin |
36 pence, or 3 shillings in the 14th century |
Former gold coin introduced by Edward III in 1344, the half florin, or leopard, was not popular; it was replaced the same year as its issue. |
|
Half |
10 1/2 shillings |
Former gold coin, minted from 1669 until 1813. The value of the guinea had fluctuated over the years from 20 to 30 shillings. A Royal Proclamation of December 1717 fixed the value of the guinea at 21 shillings. In the Great Recoinage of 1816, the guinea was replaced as the major unit of currency by the pound. |
|
Half |
2 pence in the 14th-15th centuries |
Former coin. Introduced circa 1352. |
|
Half |
40 pence, or 3 shillings and
4 pence in the 14th century. 50 pence, or |
Former coin. Introduced circa 1352. |
|
Half Pound Note |
10 shillings. |
Former banknote |
|
|
Half a penny (pence) |
Former copper coin. Removed from circulation in 1984. |
|
Half Ryal |
60 pence, or 5 shillings in the 15th century |
Former coin |
|
Half |
Half a pound |
Former circulating gold coin, first struck in modern times in 1817. Today half sovereigns are gold coins minted as proof coins for collectors only. |
|
Helm |
|
See Quarter Florin |
|
Laurel |
20 shillings, or 1 pound |
Former gold coin. The laurel was the third British gold coin with a value of 20 shillings minted during the reign of King James I. It was named after the laurel that the king is portrayed as wearing on his head. The coin was produced during James I's third coinage (1619-25). |
|
Leopard |
|
See Half Florin |
|
Mark |
2/3 of a pound, or 13 shillings and 4 pence |
Former coin |
|
Noble |
80 pence, or 6 shillings and 8
pence in the 14th century. |
Former gold coin. It replaced the florin in the 14th century. |
|
Pence |
There were 12 pence to a shilling
and
240 pence to a
pound. pence is the plural of penny. |
Since 1971 there have been 100 pence to a pound. The abbreviation of a "d" for a pence comes from the Latin denarius, a small silver coin of ancient Rome originally equivalent to 10 bronze asses. |
|
|
|
A coin in circulation today. Pre-1992 the penny was made of bronze; since 1992 it's been made of copper-plated steel. Since 1971 there have been 100 pence to a pound. The term penny is singular; pence is plural. The abbreviation of a "d" for a pence comes from the Latin denarius, a small silver coin of ancient Rome originally equivalent to 10 bronze asses. The word penny is probably Germanic in origin. |
|
Pound |
20 shillings, or 240 pence |
A one pound coin has been around for centuries -- silver £1 coins were issued during the reign of Charles I in the 17th century. In 1983 the nickel-brass £1 coin was introduced, roughly coinciding with the removal from circulation of the £1 note, which occurred in 1984. The nickel-brass £1 coin has the Latin phrase "Decus Et Tutamen" inscribed on the edge. which translates as "An ornament and a safeguard." The phrase first appeared on British coins in the 17th century and refers to the inscribed edge as a protection against the clipping of precious metal. (See the entry on this list for "Sterling" for more information on the derivation of that term). A pound once referred to a monetary unit of Scotland used before the Union with England and Wales (1707). The Scottish currency was called a pound Scots and was worth a fraction of the pound Sterling. The pound was also the basic monetary unit of various dependent territories of the United Kingdom. The term comes from the Middle English po(u)nd, which derives from Old English pund, which originated with the Latin pondo. The pound abbreviation symbol of £ derives from the Latin libra, which was a unit of weight in ancient Rome corresponding to a pound. |
|
Quarter |
1/16th of a pence, or 1/3,840th of a pound |
Former coin produced for circulation in Ceylon (then a British colony, today the independent nation of Sri Lanka) between 1839 and 1853. The coin is considered to be part of British coinage because it has no indication of what country it was minted for, being made in the same style as the contemporary third farthing. Its value was considered too small to be used in Britain. |
|
Quarter Florin |
18 pence, or 1 shilling and 6 pence in the 14th century |
Former gold coin introduced by Edward III in 1344. The coin was not popular and was replaced the same year as its issue. |
|
Quarter |
5 shillings and 3 pence |
Former gold coin, minted only in 1718 and again (for one year only) in 1762. |
|
Quarter |
20 pence, or 1 shilling and 8 pence in the 14th-15th centuries |
Former coin. Introduced circa 1352. |
|
Quarter |
30 pence, or 2 shillings and 6 pence in the 15th century |
Former coin |
|
Quid |
1 pound |
Slang term for a pound, probably from the Latin Quid Pro Quo. A Quid has always, pre- and post-decimalization, referred to a pound. |
|
|
120 pence, or 10 shillings in the 15th century |
Former coin. Introduced in 1465. |
|
Shilling |
12 pence. There were 20 shillings to a pound. (equivalent to 5 pence in today's decimal system) |
Former coin. After the 1971 decimalization act the shilling was reclassified as being worth 5 pence and the coin continued to circulate. In 1990 the shilling was withdrawn from circulation and formally replaced by the new, smaller 5 pence coin, still in circulation today. shilling derives from a Saxon word; however, the "s" with which it was abbreviated comes from solidus, a Roman coin. |
|
|
6 pence |
Former coin. The sixpence remained in circulation after the 1971 decimalization act, but was reclassified as being worth 2½ pence. The coin was not minted in the new classification and was withdrawn from circulation in 1980. |
|
Sovereign |
1 pound |
Former circulating gold coin, first struck in 1489 for Henry VII and last struck for circulation in 1932. Today gold sovereigns are minted as proof coins by The Royal Mint for collectors only. The sovereign was carried as emergency bargaining power by soldiers of Britain's Special Air Service (SAS) during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. |
|
Sterling |
|
From the formal term "pound sterling." Though less used today, the term is still found, e.g., "payment must be made in sterling," to indicate that the only currency acceptable for payment is the British pound. The word may have its origins from the Middle English starling ("small star"), which refers to the small star on early Norman silver pennies. Probably from Old English steorling. |
|
Tanner |
|
See Sixpence |
|
Ten Shilling Note |
10 shillings |
Former banknote |
|
Third |
1/12th of a pence, or 1/2,880th of a pound |
Former coin minted exclusively for use in Malta (then a British colony, now the independent Republic of Malta) between 1827 and 1913. The coin is considered to be part of British coinage because it has no indication of what country it was minted for, being made in the same style as the contemporary quarter farthing. Its value was considered too small to be used in Britain. The third farthing was originally made of copper; however, by the time of the mintage of 1866 the coins were made of bronze. |
|
Third |
7 shillings |
Former gold coin, minted from 1797 until 1813. The third guinea coin is unique among British gold coinage in having been produced exclusively in the reign of one monarch: George III. |
|
Three |
3/4 of a penny (pence) |
A former silver coin introduced by Queen Elizabeth I during her third and fourth coinages (1561-82) and closely resembling the three halfpence and threepence coins, differing only in the diameter. |
|
Three |
1 1/2 pence |
A former silver coin introduced by Queen Elizabeth I during her third and fourth coinages (1561-82). The three halfpence closely resembles the three farthings and threepence coins, differing only in the diameter. No three halfpence coins were produced after 1582. |
|
|
3 pence |
Former coin, removed from circulation in 1971. The silver threepence coin first appeared in English coinage during the fine silver coinage of Edward VI (1547-53). The threepence was changed to a nickel-brass composition in 1937 and ceased to be legal tender after August 31, 1971. |
|
Two Guinea |
First issued in 1664, when it had a nominal value of 40 shillings and was known as a Forty shilling Piece. After the Proclamation of 1717 settled the value of a guinea at 21 shillings, the Two Guinea piece became worth 42 shillings. |
Former gold coin, minted between 1664 and 1753. The value of the guinea had fluctuated over the years from 20 to 30 shillings. A Royal Proclamation of December 1717 fixed the value of the guinea at 21 shillings. |
|
Two Pence |
2 pence |
A coin in circulation today. Pre-1992 the two pence was made of bronze; since 1992 it's been made of copper-plated steel. Also a former silver coin that, since 1662, has only been minted for use on Maundy Thursday. The Royal Maundy is an ancient ceremony which has its origin in the commandment Christ gave after washing the feet of his disciples on the day before Good Friday. The commandment, or mandatum, was "that ye love one another" (John XIII 34). It appears to have been the custom as early as the 13th century for members of the royal family to take part in Maundy ceremonies by distributing money and gifts, and to recall Christ's simple act of humility by washing the feet of the poor. Maundy money was first issued in 1662 during the reign of Charles II, with an undated issue of hammered coins. In the 18th century the practice of washing the feet was discontinued and in the 19th century money allowances were substituted for the various gifts of food and clothing. |
|
Two Shilling Piece |
See Florin | |
|
Unite |
20 shillings, until 1612; thereafter, 22 shillings |
Former gold coin. The unite was the second British gold coin with a value of 20 shillings minted during the reign of King James I. It was the equivalent of a pound and was named after the legends on the coin indicating the King's intention of uniting his two kingdoms (England and Scotland). The unite was valued at 20 shillings until 1612, when the increase in the value of gold caused it to be raised to 22 shillings. The coin was produced during James I's second coinage (1604-19). It was replaced in James's third coinage by the laurel. |
 |
Sources: The Norton Anthology of English Literature, 7th Edition, Volume 1, 2000, New York: W.W. Norton & Co.; The American Heritage Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary,1987, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.; This England, 1966, Washington, DC: The National Geographic Society; The Queen's Conjurer: The Science and Magic of Dr. John Dee, Adviser to Queen Elizabeth I, 2001, Benjamin Woolley, New York: Henry Holt & Co.; Jim VanderRoest; Aleks Kotulski; Colin Bignell; Adrian Wynne-Morgan; Nick Willder; Paul Foley; British Royal Mint. |
