Heaton & Sons Penny

Since it first appeared in early medieval times, the old penny was a mainstay of coinage until decimalisation in 1971. During 1912, 1918 and 1919, The Royal Mint called upon the services of Heaton & Sons in Birmingham to help meet demand. The pennies produced by the company can be identified by an ‘H’ mint mark near the date on the reverse of the coin.

Did You Know?

• Britannia, the icon who features on this Heaton & Sons penny, has featured on coins struck by The Royal Mint during the reign of every British monarch since Charles II
• The penny indirectly derives from an old Roman coin called the ‘denarius’
• Although pennies are no longer struck in silver for circulation, they are struck in silver for Royal Maundy and some commemorative sets
• Bronze pennies appeared in circulation from 1860 until decimalisation in 1971
• Under the old system of pounds, shillings and pence, 12 pennies made one shilling and there were 20 shillings in a pound