During the reign of King George VI, circulation silver threepences were produced only in 19371945 (and almost all the 1945 examples were subsequently melted down). Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603) produced threepences during her third coinage (1561-1577). [5] Coins dated 1946 and 1949 were minted in far fewer numbers than the rest, and as nickel-brass wears very quickly; higher grade specimens of these coins are expensive to buy now (both over 500 for uncirculated examples). reign was inscribed with ELIZABETH II DEI GRA BRITT OMN REGINA F D in 1953, and subsequently used ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F D until they ceased production in 1970. The reverse shows a long cross over the royal shield, surrounded by the legend (London mint) POSUI DEUM ADIUTOREM MEUM (I have made God my helper), or (York mint) CIVITAS EBORACI (City of York). Most 1561 issues are 21 mm in diameter, while later ones are 19 mm in diameter. Victoria bronze "Bun" halfpenny introduced 1860 together with bronze pennies and farthings. This guide and its content is copyright of Chard (1964) Ltd - Chard (1964) Ltd 2023. In 1644 the Aberystwyth obverse was used to produce a coin with the reverse showing the Declaration of Oxford: REL PRO LEG AN LIB PA 1644 The religion of the Protestants, the laws of England, the liberty of Parliament 1644, while around the outside of the coin is the legend EXURGAT DEUS DISSIPENTUR INIMICI Let God arise and His enemies be scattered. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The general circulation British silver Threepence was no longer. The silver threepenny was popular in Scotland but not in England. You could use them to pay for goods in new and old money until 1 September 1971 [4], when they were withdrawn. Somebody reading this page will stop reading before they get to this point and e-mail or phone us excitedly to tell . Threepences of the fourth coinage (15781582) are identical except for having a slightly lower silver content. The Silver Spring Three refers to a Vietnam War era anti-draft action. Coins were produced at the Oxford mint between 1644 and 1646, using the Aberystwyth dies for the obverse, while the reverse of the 1644 coin shows the Declaration of Oxford in three lines: RELI PRO LEG ANG LIB PAR. When did the British Threepence cease to be legal tender? Hence the coin was not minted in the following two reigns. However, the other six are still out there somewhere and, as such, they are extremely rare today. While the silver threepence was minted as a currency coin until nearly the middle of the 20th century, it is clear that the purpose of the coin changed during the reign of King George III (17601820). Silver threepences were no different to the nickel-brass variations and also ceased to be legal tender during decimalisation in 1971. It was worth 1/80th of a pound, or of a shilling. The first type has the date broken by a thrift plant design and the second has the date below. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. No threepences were produced by the Commonwealth. The British farthing is a continuation of the English farthing, struck by English monarchs prior to the Act of Union 1707 which unified the crowns of England and . A further type produced at Oxford had on the obverse the kings' bust with the denomination behind him, and the letter "R" (for Rawlins, the maker of the die) below the king's shoulder and the legend CAROLUS D G M BR F ET H REX and the Aberystwyth reverse. As with all British silver coins, the silver content was reduced from sterling (0.925) silver to 50% silver, 40% copper, 10% nickel in 1920, 50% silver, 50% copper in 1922, and 50% silver, 40% copper, 5% nickel, 5% zinc in 1927, while the design of the reverse of the circulating threepence (but not the maundy threepence) was completely changed in 1927 to three oak sprigs with three acorns and a "G" in the centre, and the inscription THREE PENCE date. Between 1937 and 1945 the silver threepence was minted each year during King George VI's reign, but it is the 1945 edition that is considered to be extremely rare. The threepence denomination fell out of use again during the reign of King James I, while during King Charles I's reign (162549) it was not produced at the London Tower mint, but was produced (sometimes in some quantity) at various provincial mints. When did the British Threepence cease to be legal tender? Type 1 (1911-1920) contains 0.925 silver, Type 2 (1920-1926) contains 0.5 silver, Type 3 (1926) carries a modified obverse image, and Type 4 (1927-1936) has a New Oak Sprig reverse. It may surprise most people to learn that silverthreepencesare still issued in the present day, but as we have mentioned, the four denominations of Maundycoins are all still struckannually for the Royal Maundy ceremony. . No threepences were produced by the Commonwealth of England . The threepences of King Edward VIII were all patterns awaiting royal approval at the time of the abdication in December 1936. Interestingly from 1937-40 the coin had sharp corners, in 1941 it had either both sharp or rounded corners, 1942-46 they were rounded, and 1948 they were either. Threepences were produced with both the "young head" (18381887) and "Jubilee head" (18871893), inscribed VICTORIA D G BRITANNIAR REGINA F D, while those produced with the "old head" (18931901) are inscribed VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP. The second silver issue came out part way through 1920 and was reduced to 0.500 silver due to the severe shortage of silver. They are catalogued at nearly 60,000 in the 2020 Spink Coins of England. In 1644 the Aberystwyth obverse was used to produce a coin with the reverse showing the Declaration of Oxford: REL PRO LEG AN LIB PA 1644 -- The religion of the Protestants, the laws of England, the liberty of Parliament 1644, while around the outside of the coin is the legend EXURGAT DEUS DISSIPENTUR INIMICI -- Let God arise and His enemies be scattered. The effigy of the queen produced by Mary Gillick was used, with the inscription ELIZABETH II DEI GRA BRITT OMN REGINA F D used in 1953, and ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F D used in all other years. The silver threepence continued to minted, as there may have been some uncertainty how well the new coin would be accepted. The obverse shows a left-facing crowned bust of the queen with a rose behind her, surrounded by the legend ELIZABETH D G ANG FR ET HIB REGINA, while the reverse shows shield over a long cross, dated 1561, surrounded by the legend POSUI DEU ADIUTOREM MEU. He was left inside the world to grow, so that when he broke free he could take over the world and eat all its children. It was the UKs first dodecagonal (12 sided) coin. Currency silver threepences from 1838 to 1926 were of identical design and cannot usually be distinguished except in the best conditions when the higher striking standard of the maundy coins stand out; this resulted in the curious legal anomaly that when the currency was decimalised in 1971 all silver threepences from 1870 onwards were revalued at three new pence, not just the maundy coins. The obverse shows a left-facing bust of the King, with the inscription GEORGIVS II DEI GRATIA while the reverse shows the crowned "3" and MAG BRI FR ET HIB REX date. The old The old penny and threepence coins ceased to be legal tender on 31st August 1971, just over six months after D-day. The final hammered coinage threepences were produced at the start of the reign of King Charles II. From 1817 the dimensions of the coin were reduced to a weight of 1.4 grams and diameter of 16 millimetres, following the Great Recoinage. This article is about the history of the threepence. when did silver threepence cease to be legal tender At first the coins had sharp corners, but during 1941 a more rounded collar was used, as failure of the collars was occurring too frequently. The design continued in the reign of George I, when threepences were produced in 1717, 1721, 1723, and 1727. Halfpenny (British pre-decimal coin) - Wikipedia For the nickel-brass coin minted between 1937 and 1970, see, VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP, EDWARDVS VII D G BRITT OMN REX F D IND IMP, ELIZABETH II DEI GRA BRITT OMN REGINA F D, "Oxford Dictionaries definition and pronunciation: threepence", "Oxford Dictionaries definition and pronunciation: threepenny bit", "U.K. to Replace 1-Pound Coin With Secure 12-Edged Design", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_the_threepence&oldid=1144747310, This page was last edited on 15 March 2023, at 10:20. Apart from the king's head and name, and the weight being increased to 6.8 grams (0.24oz), the coin was identical to that prepared for Edward VIII. Baby kangaroos, known as joeys, are remarkably small. While mentioning Joeys, weshould also mention that both types ofthreepenceswere usually called or pronounced threpence, undoubtedly because using a long ee sound makes for a slightly awkward pronunciation. This coin also appears dated 1646. While they didnt go out of circulation until decimalisation took over, the Queen Elizabeth II nickel-brass coins stopped being minted in 1967. A quantity of (370,000) silver threepences were struck dated 1945, although these were all melted with the metal used in other mint products. This was followed by the dated issue, issued each year from 1670 to 1684, where the obverse features a right-facing uncrowned bust of the king and the inscription CAROLVS II DEI GRATIA, with the reverse showing three crowned interlinked "C"s (indicating the value) and the inscription MAG BR FRA ET HIB REX date. Some years, like 1847 and 1848, are considered extremely rare and could fetch a four-figure sum if they feature high-quality grading. Robert Wagner. The nickel-brass threepence took over the bulk of the production of the denomination, being produced in all years between 1937 and 1952 except 1947. The name has also been applied to any thick or large coin, such as the Groschen (grosso), a silver coin issued by Tyrol in 1271 and Venice in the 13th century, which was the first of this general size to circulate in the Holy Roman Empire and other parts of Europe. The whereabouts of six of those 12 are known. Plot Summary. The British brass threepence ceased to be legal tender. For the sole reign of William III, the design remained very similar, with the inscriptions changed to GVLIELMVS III DEI GRA and MAG BR FR ET HIB REX date. Silver Spring Three - Wikipedia Even with an EF grading, the general circulation George V coins are worth just a few pounds. In the first two years of minting the coin, 1762 and 1763, it was obviously produced for general circulation as these coins are generally found well worn; on the other hand, coins from the late issue (1817-20) are usually found in very fine condition, indicating that they were probably issued as Maundy money. Sixpence The sixpence, worth six pre-decimal pennies, was known colloquially as a "tanner". The reverse inscription reads MAG BRI FR ET HIB REX date up to 1800 and BRITANNIARUM REX FID DEF date from 1817. The threepence denomination fell out of use again during the reign of King James I, while during Charles I's reign (1625-1649) they were not produced at the London Tower mint, but were produced (sometimes in some quantity) at various provincial mints. Threepences were produced both with the "young head" (183887) and with the "Jubilee head" (188793), inscribed VICTORIA D G BRITANNIAR REGINA F D, while those produced with the "old head" (18931901) are inscribed VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP. Threepence coins issued in 1954 circulated for 17 years until "Decimal Day", 15 February 1971, and ceased to be legal tender after 31 August 1971. [citation needed]. There was a major change in the reverse from 1927-36 when a design of acorns and oak leaves was used. . At an auction in April 1970 one of these 1945 George VI silver threepence coins sold for the equivalent of 4,000 in todays money to an unknown buyer, with the other being graded and certified in 2019. Note that gold sovereigns have never carried an explicit mark of value, from their introduction in 1489 through to the present day. Unlike some of the larger . In 1644 the Exeter mint produced a fairly scarce threepence. As with all British silver coins, the silver content was reduced from sterling (0.925) silver to 50% silver, 40% copper, 10% nickel in 1920, 50% silver, 50% copper in 1922, and 50% silver, 40% copper, 5% nickel, 5% zinc in 1927, while the design of the reverse of the circulating threepence (but not the maundy threepence) was completely changed in 1927 to three oak sprigs with three acorns and a "G" in the centre, and the inscription THREE PENCE date. The circulated three pence and the three pence given out at the Maundy ceremonies were the same design. Also in John Camden Hotten, "The slang Dictionary " (1869) which gives the wrong title for Hawkins' "The Silver Coins of England Arranged and Described with " This must be referring to the 1841 edition rather than 1876, see the lower half of the page at (Google Books) As a threepence, it is sourced before 1936(!) Threepences were issued in 1762-3, 1765-6, 1770, 1772, 1780, 1784, 1786, 1792, 1795, 1800, 1817, 1818, and 1820. The final hammered coinage threepences were produced at the start of the reign of King Charles II. The obverse shows a front-facing bust of the king, with a rose to the left and the value numeral III to the right, surrounded by the legend EDWARD VI D G ANG FRA Z HIB REX. The denomination is identified by the numeral III appearing behind the king's head. Little Brown, 2016. with a crowned three on the reverse) were revalued as being in new pence at the same time. Wiki User. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited. Types sets of all three portraits of the Queen Victoria threepences are often sold and are popular with collectors. Groat (coin) - Wikipedia For the building in south London, see, VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP, EDWARDVS VII D G BRITT OMN REX F D IND IMP, ELIZABETH II DEI GRA BRITT OMN REGINA F D, October 2019 sale of 120,000 threepences, Learn how and when to remove this template message, pound divided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence, "U.K. to Replace 1-Pound Coin With Secure 12-Edged Design", "1 million worth of 'thruppences' to be sold to stop coin collecting dying out", Threepence (Circulating), Coin Type from United Kingdom - Online Coin Club, List of people on coins of the United Kingdom, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Threepence_(British_coin)&oldid=1144546411, Pre-decimalisation coins of the United Kingdom, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from July 2007, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 14 March 2023, at 08:52. Currency silver threepences from 1838 to 1926 were of identical design and cannot usually be distinguished except in the best conditions when the higher striking standard of the maundy coins stand out; this resulted in the curious legal anomaly that when the currency was decimalised in 1971 all silver threepences from 1870 onwards were revalued at three new pence, not just the maundy coins. . Threepence (British coin) - Wikipedia Plumes were the identifying symbol of the Aberystwyth mint, but the Bristol and Oxford mints often used dies from the Aberystwyth mint so plumes often appear on their output too. and attributed to the 1920s to 1930s, Earlier on that page, under "Elizabeth I", we say: "The Elizabeth threepences did not carry a value mark, as in those days most people could tell the difference between a twopence, threepence and fourpence by their size and weight." It was consequently decided to introduce a more substantial threepenny coin which would have a more convenient weight/value ratio than the silver coinage. The reverse shows a long cross over the royal shield, surrounded by the legend (London mint) POSUI DEUM ADIUTOREM MEUM (I have made God my helper), or (York mint) CIVITAS EBORACI (City of York). The silver threepence had another completely new reverse three interlinked rings of Saint Edmund, with the inscription FID DEF IND IMP 1937 THREE PENCE, while the obverse shows a left-facing effigy of the king with the inscription EDWARDVS VIII D G BR OMN REX and a very small silver engravement. It was first minted in the reign of Henry VIIas the testoon, and became known as the shilling, from the Old Englishscilling,[1]sometime in the mid-16th century. The obverse shows a right-facing bust of the King, with the inscription GEORGIVS DEI GRATIA while the reverse shows the crowned "3" and MAG BRI FR ET HIB REX date. A similar threepence was produced for King James II, dated 1685 to 1688, the obverse showing a left-facing bust of the king and the inscription IACOBVS II DEI GRATIA, with the reverse showing three crowned "I"s (indicating the value) and the inscription MAG BR FRA ET HIB REX date. The British brass threepence ceased to be legal tender after 31 August 1971, following decimalisation. The threepence, which is often expressed as 3d, is a coin that first entered circulation in the mid-16th century during the era of King Edward VI. The general. The obverse shows a right-facing bust of the king, with the inscription GEORGIVS DEI GRATIA while the reverse shows the crowned "3" and MAG BRI FR ET HIB REX date. Unlike some of the larger denominations . By the end of George V's reign the silver threepence had become somewhat unpopular in England, especially in London, on account of its small size, but it remained popular in Scotland. They feature a left-facing crowned bust of the king with the numeral III behind him, with the legend CAROLUS D G MA BR F ET H RE, with the reverse showing the royal arms on a shield with the date 1644 above the shield, and the legend CHRISTO AUSPICE REGNO. EF graded coins from each year can fetch up to 20. The nickel-brass threepence took over the bulk of the production of the denomination, being produced in all years between 1937 and 1952 except 1947. The obverse inscription reads GULIELMUS IIII D G BRITANNIAR REX F D, while the reverse shows the new-style crowned "3" and date, all within a wreath. Pitt Byrne (R. Bentley, 1860) "Hi - hi - all you respectable people what 's got a joey, get half a pint of beer and sport the other threepence up here; " (and presumably beer is 2d a pint). When the Sea Turned to Silver. While this was almost certainly true in the Black Country, this was certainly not universal, and these so-called expert authors all appear to be mindlessly parroting some writer from the Midlands. The scarce dates are 1948, 1950 and 1951 and these are now selling for 60 80 in mint state. It is without a doubt that the 1945 George VI silver threepences are one of, if not the rarest threepence coins ever. From 1817 until 1945 the silver threepence weighed 1.4g and had a diameter of 16mm. The old pennies quickly went out of use after Decimal Day, 15 February 1971there was no exact decimal equivalent of them, and the slogan "use your old pennies in sixpenny lots" explained that pennies and "threepenny bits" were only accepted in shops if their total value was six old pence (exactly 212 new pence). This was repeated in 1645, but with a plumelet instead of a plume in front of the king's face. I think that the name may have come into popular use around the time of the introduction of the new brass threepence to distinguish between the two types. They are easily spotted due to the depiction of a number 3 on the reverse, signifying the original value of the threepence. Regards & best wishes, Ron H-W. Ron is correct when he states thatiswasn't quite true about the use of value marks. It is no longer possible to exchange them for current coins at a bank. The currency threepence was issued for each of the nine years of the reign of King Edward VII from 1902. The physical dimensions of the brass threepence remained the same in the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. Threepences were struck in all years from 1822 to 1830, though the king's head is smaller on the 1822 issue, apparently because the correct punch broke and the one from the twopence was used instead. Victorian threepences were produced both for maundy use and for normal circulation in all years between 1838 and 1901 except 1847, 1848, and 1852 (probably because of the possible advent of a decimal currency at the time (see the item on the florin), when the 3d at 1/80th of a pound would not have fit with in a decimal system). The other recently sold for 62,000 in 2020, more than double its presale estimated value. There is the undated issue which looks very like the earlier hammered coinage, with a crowned left-facing bust of the king with the denomination indicated by III behind his head, and the inscription CAROLVS II D G M B F & H REX, with the reverse showing a shield encircling the arms of England, Scotland, Ireland and France with the legend CHRISTO AUSPICE REGNO. An example was put up for auction in 2013, expecting 30,000. The obverse shows a left-facing bust of the King, with the inscription GEORGIVS II DEI GRATIA while the reverse shows the crowned "3" and MAG BRI FR ET HIB REX date. History of the threepence - Wikipedia This coin also appears dated 1646. They feature a left-facing crowned bust of the king with plumes in front of his face and the numeral III behind him, with the legend CAROLUS DG MA B FR ET H REX (or a combination of M(A) B F(R) ET H(I)(B) depending on the engraver), with the reverse showing the royal arms on a large oval shield with plumes above the shield, and the legend CHRISTO AUSPICE REGNO I reign under the auspices of Christ. The Coinage of Britain - Recoinage 1816 to Decimalization - KEN ELKS Current policy on British coins as legal tender is - 20 pence pieces, 25 pence coins and 50 pence pieces are legal tender in amounts up to 10 pounds; 5 pence pieces and 10 pence pieces are legal . From 1561, during the third and fourth coinages of Elizabth I,halfgroats(twopences) were issued, which had no rose.