Penny, 1933
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1933
Issuing entity
United KingdomThe 1933 penny is a British pre-decimal bronze coin produced under the reign of King George V. The pre-decimal penny represented one 240th of a pound sterling, or one twelfth of a shilling, and was struck by the Royal Mint. No pennies were manufactured for commercial circulation in 1933 because existing stocks and the volume of coinage already in active use rendered a general issue unnecessary.
Instead of a standard production run, only six or seven specimens—at least seven according to official records—were struck during the year. These pieces were produced primarily for placement beneath the foundation stones of new buildings, specifically for the King to lay, as well as for placement in museum collections. One of the foundation-stone specimens was subsequently stolen when a church in Leeds was demolished during the 1960s, and its whereabouts remain unknown.
The obverse of the coin features a left-facing bust of King George V modelled by Sir Bertram Mackennal, encircled by the Latin inscription GEORGIVS V DEI GRA BRITT OMN REX FID DEF IND IMP. The reverse, designed by Leonard Charles Wyon after an earlier pattern by William Wyon, depicts Britannia seated with a shield, trident, and helm. The reverse design is surrounded by the words ONE PENNY, with the date 1933 positioned at the bottom of the coin.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 2
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
Frequently cited as a famous British rarity; claims about the exact number surviving vary between sources and are not repeated here as fact. The British pre-decimal penny was a denomination of sterling coinage worth 1⁄240 of one pound or 1⁄12 of one shilling. Its symbol was d, from the Roman denarius coin. It was a continuation of the earlier English penny, and in Scotland it had the same monetary value as one pre-1707 Scottish shilling, thus the English penny was called sgillin in Scottish Gaelic. The penny was originally minted in silver, but from the late 18th century it was minted in copper, and then after 1860 in bronze. (Description from Wikipedia: Penny (British pre-decimal coin); details apply to the illustrated example, not every object of this type.)
Identification
- How to identify
- To identify this coin, check for the year 1933 positioned at the bottom of the reverse below the seated figure of Britannia, paired with the left-facing portrait of George V on the obverse.
- Source note
- Background drawn from Wikipedia (“Penny (British pre-decimal coin)”; “History of the British penny (1901–1970)”), a tertiary source; details have not yet been checked against issuing-authority records or a standard catalogue.
Documentation checklist
- Denomination
- Research required
- Issue or mint date
- Recorded
- Material
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- Weight
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- Mint or printer
- Research required
- Mint or printer mark
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- Catalogue reference
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- Attached photograph (check rights)
- Recorded
Recorded means a field is present, not independently verified. Read its wording, supporting source and the entry’s confidence level.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Recorded number struck differs between sources and must be resolved against a Tier 1 reference
- Provenance of individually known examples requires documentation