United Kingdom | |
| Value | £0.01 |
|---|---|
| Mass | 3.56 g |
| Diameter | 20.3 mm |
| Thickness | (Bronze) 1.52 mm (Steel) 1.65 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Composition | Bronze (1971–1991) Copper-plated steel (1992–) |
| Years of minting | 1971–present[1] |
| Obverse | |
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| Design | King Charles III |
| Designer | Martin Jennings |
| Design date | 2023 |
| Reverse | |
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| Design | Hazel dormouse |
| Designer | The Royal Mint |
| Design date | 2023 |
The British decimal one penny (1p) coin is a unit of currency and denomination of sterling coinage worth 1⁄100 of one pound. Its obverse featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the coin's introduction on 15 February 1971, the day British currency was decimalised, until her death on 8 September 2022. A new portrait featuring King Charles III was introduced on 30 September 2022, designed by Martin Jennings. Four different portraits of the Queen were used on the obverse; the last design by Jody Clark was introduced in 2015. The second and current reverse, designed by Matthew Dent, features a segment of the Royal Shield and was introduced in 2008.[2] The penny is the lowest value coin (in real terms) ever to circulate in the United Kingdom.
The penny was originally minted from bronze, but since 1992 has been minted in copper-plated steel due to increasing copper prices.
There are an estimated 10.5 billion 1p coins in circulation as of 2016, with a total face value of around £105,000,000.
1p coins are legal tender only for amounts up to the sum of 20p when offered in repayment of a debt;[3][4] however, the coin's legal tender status is not normally relevant for everyday transactions.[5]
- ^ "1p Coin". Royal Mint. 15 February 1971. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
- ^ "One Penny Coin". Royal Mint. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
- ^ "Coinage Act: Section 2", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1971 c. 24 (s. 2)
- ^ "What are the legal tender amounts acceptable for UK coins?". The Royal Mint. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
- ^ "What is legal tender?". Bank of England. Retrieved 2019-05-05.