The Silver Penny

Following the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43, the Roman coinage system was introduced, sweeping away the indigenous money. After the decline of Roman power in Britain from the fifth century AD, the silver penny eventually emerged as the dominant coin circulating in England.

While we today are used to a range of denominations, for 500 years, from the end of the eighth century, the silver penny was virtually the only coin in daily use. If people wanted to have a fraction of a penny they would take the law into their own hands and cut a penny in half or into quarters.