The original reverse of the coin, designed by Christopher Ironside, and used from 1969 to 2008, is a seated Britannia alongside a lion, holding an olive branch in her left hand and a trident in her right, accompanied by either NEW PENCE (1969–1981) or FIFTY PENCE (1982–2008) above Britannia, with the numeral 50
So gold, silver, copper, and zinc are not magnetic, and nickel is magnetic only if the alloy level is high. The US only made one steel coin variety, the 1943 cent, and that's the only circulating US coin that a magnet will attract.
No, or at least no-one's obliged to take them and they aren't legal tender. Per the Royal Mint: "Smaller version introduced September 1997 (Larger version introduced October 1969, demonetised in 1998)".
The remaining 1% were made of simple copper-zinc brass, or lead or tin, or both. Those made of lead or tin may have a gold-coloured coating; counterfeits made of acrylic plastic containing metal powder to increase weight were occasionally found.
The alloy remained 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc until 1982, when the composition was changed to 97.5 percent zinc and 2.5 percent copper (copper-plated zinc).
The 'Copper' 1p and 2p coins were traditionally made from a bronze alloy of copper, tin and zinc. However, since September 1992 they have been made from copper-plated steel.
Metals Used in Coins
Other metals such as copper, nickel and zinc are used to make ordinary coins. Initially, pennies were made from copper. But during wartime years the penny was even made from steel mixed with zinc so as to conserve copper for making weapons and shell casings.The coin was originally minted in bronze (composition 97% copper, 2.5% zinc, 0.5% tin) between 1971 and September 1992. Since 1992, the coins are minted in steel and electroplated in copper, making them magnetic. Rising world prices for copper had caused the metal value of the pre-1992 copper 1p coin to exceed 1p.
The 20p piece was first 'struck' in 1982. A year later, the Royal Mint made an error with 2p pieces when it minted an unknown number with the wording 'new pence' rather than 'two pence'. The coin never made it into circulated, but example are believed to be worth several hundred pounds.
The first officially circulated 20p coin was dated 1986. To add some perspective, 50.4 million of these were minted and one of these (uncirculated) is worth approximately €4.00 today.
Mule coins are always highly coveted, but they rarely receive the kind of mainstream media attention afforded to the undated 20p." Estimates have varied over the years but the Royal Mint claims no more than 250,000 coins ever made it into circulation.
Unlike 50p and 10p coins, the 20p design has remained almost the same since it was first minted back in 1982, making only a handful of them actually valuable to a collector. The 20p coins that are worth the most are "mule" ones which have been minted with inaccuracies on them by mistake.
Dubbed one of the rarest coins to date, the bronze 20p coin was the result of a Royal Mint mix-up between 1982 and 1990. During this period, a series of blank 1ps managed to get caught up in the presses - ending up as 20ps instead. This meant they all came out all bronze.
In 1983, the Royal Mint made an error with the 2p piece stamping some with 'new pence' rather than 'two pence'. The 1983 2p mule is currently worth a few hundred pounds even though there are far fewer in existence than the 20p coins.
Here are some of the rarest coins the world has to offer.
- 1804 Silver Dollar, Class I. This coin is often called the “King of U.S. Coins,” and for good reason—there are only fifteen known specimens of this silver coin in the world.
- 1343 Edward III Florin.
- 1787 Brasher Doubloon.
- 1913 Liberty Head Nickel.
Dateless 20p piece - £100
However, an error at the Mint mismatched the old and new designs and between 50,000 and 200,000 coins were produced with no date on and put into circulation before the mistake was spotted.Since January 2012, the 'Silver' 5p and 10p coins have also been made from a plated steel, in turn making them magnetic. While they changed more recently than the 'coppers', you will actually find that a higher percentage of 5p and 10p coins are magnetic.
Copper-plated coins are attracted to magnets because of the iron content of the steel core, whereas bronze coins are not magnetic. In 1998, 2p coins were struck in both copper-plated steel and bronze.
A penny is not what you think. Indeed, from 1793 to 1837, a cent was pure copper. But newer pennies are made mostly of zinc. The cent was again bronze (95 percent copper, and five percent tin and zinc) from 1864 to 1962, except: In 1943, the coin's composition was changed to zinc-coated steel.
All 2p coins struck between 1971 and 1981 included the words 'NEW PENCE' as part of their reverse. In 1982 and in subsequent years the words 'NEW PENCE' were replaced with the word 'TWO PENCE'. However, in 1983 a small number of 2p coins were mistakenly struck with the wording 'NEW PENCE' on the reverse.
In 1920, most British silver coins, the halfcrown, florin, and shilling, were debased to . 500 fine, that is 50% silver, and 50% copper. Two denominations, the sixpence and threepence were struck in both alloys for 1920. All four maundy coins were still produced in sterling silver during 1920.
Pounds and Pence
One British pound (£) is made up of 100 pence (p). Coin denominations are as follows: 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2.Specifications for Legal Tender Coins in USA
| Denomination | Metal used | Composition (%) |
|---|
| Cent | Copper -plated Zinc | 2.5 Cu Balance Zn |
| Nickel | Cupro-Nickel | 25 Ni Balance Cu |
| Dime | Cupro-Nickel | 8.33 Ni Balance Cu |
| Quarter Dollar | Cupro-Nickel | 8.33 Ni Balance Cu |
The decision to decimalise was announced in 1966, with the pound to be redivided into 100, rather than 240, pence. Decimal Day was set for 15 February 1971, and a whole range of new coins were introduced. Shillings continued to be legal tender with a value of 5 new pence until 31 December 1990.
As a result of rising prices of base metals, from 1992 onwards the composition of the coins changed to copper plated steel. Both compositions are the same weight, diameter and design, meaning that they circulate together with no noticeable differences – other than the fact that coins with a steel core are magnetic.
One of the rarest coins ever, the bronze 20p coin is dated 1987. The Royal Mint said it was the result of an extremely rare minting error, with a blank 1p somehow finding its way into the presses and ending up with a 20p struck onto it.
Check out these eight coins that are worth a lot more than their intended value.
- 2004 Wisconsin state quarter with extra leaf.
- 2. 1995 double die penny.
- 1942-1945 silver nickel.
- 1943 steel penny.
- Ben Franklin half-dollar.
- 1932-1964 silver quarter.
- 'In God We Rust' 2005 Kansas state quarter.
THERE are 55 different £2 coin designs currently in circulation, and some of the rarest are worth more than 22 times their face value at £44. In general, the lower the mintage the rarer the coin, and the rarer the coin the more valuable it is.
