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Coins of England and Great Britain('Coins of the UK')by Tony Clayton |
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Decimal Five Pence <<-- : -->> Decimal Twenty Pence
Values of Decimal 5p and 10p coins
Pictures of Decimal Ten Pence Coins on www.ukcoinpics.co.uk
The ten pence coin initially weighed 11.31 grams and had a diameter of 28.50 mm, identical in this respect to the florin. In 1992 a smaller version was introduced weighing 6.50 g and with a diameter of 24.50 mm, just slightly larger than the old 5 pence coin which had been withdrawn a year or two before.
There are six types of this coin.
Obv: First Portrait, inscription ELIZABETH II D G REG F D (date)
starting top right
Rev: Lion Passant Guardant, 10 below, NEW PENCE above
Issued from 1968 to 1981 (1972 and 1978 in Proof only)
Obv: First Portrait, inscription ELIZABETH II D G REG F D (date)
starting top right
Rev: Lion Passant Guardant, 10 below, TEN PENCE above
Issued from 1982 to 1984 (All only obtainable from Mint and Proof sets)
Obv: Second Portrait, inscription ELIZABETH II D G REG F D (date)
starting low left
Rev: Lion Passant Guardant, 10 below, TEN PENCE above
Issued from 1985 to 1992 (All only obtainable from Mint and Proof sets).
Obv: Second Portrait, inscription ELIZABETH II D G REG F D (date)
starting low left
Rev: Lion Passant Guardant, 10 below, TEN PENCE above
Issued from 1992 to 1997. 1993 and 1994 coins only obtainable from
Mint and Proof sets. The 1996 version exists as a silver proof.
Obv: Third Portrait, inscription ELIZABETH II D G REG F D (date)
starting low left. Initials IRB below bust.
Rev: Lion Passant Guardant, 10 below, TEN PENCE above
Issued from 1998. No coins of this type dated 1998 or 1999 entered
circulation, but they are available in mint sets. However, 10p coins
dated from 2000 to 2007 are in circulation.
At present 10p coins of this type dated 2008 are only available in proof and uncirculated Royal Mint sets.
Obv: Third Portrait, inscription ELIZABETH II D G REG F D (date)
starting low left. Initials IRB below bust. No beading.
Rev: Top left corner of the Royal Arms, TEN PENCE above
First issued in 2008 (2008 in circulation, 2009 in Royal Mint sets only at present).
Proofs in silver, 2008 and 2009
The full designation of the 1968-2008 reverse is 'Part of the crest of England, a lion passant guardant royally crowned'. It was designed by Christopher Ironside.
With the reduction in size the old larger coins, along with the florins that circulated alongside, were withdrawn from circulation and demonetized with effect from 1st July 1993.
There are two obverses for 1992, and two reverses for 10p coins dated between 1992 and 2008.
These can be compared on the 10p Pictures Page.
In addition the milled edge can either be 'wire edge' or 'flat edge'. The 'flat edge' uses the full thickness of the coin, while the 'wire edge' seems to taper to a comparatively narrow section of reeding, and was only used during 1992.
Known combinations:
The 1992 Proof is Obverse 2 and Reverse B. 1995 and 1996 coins have an obverse similar to 2 (but not the same), and reverse A, with a flat edge.
I am grateful to Simon Hawley, who has made a study of later reverses, for the following table, which is a summary of known die variations from 1993 up until the change to new designs during 2008.
From the above it can be seen that while reverse die B was always used for proof coins and coins destined for uncirculated sets, reverse die A was used for circulation coins until some point during 2005 when the change to die B was made. A very few 2006 coins (1 found in over 200 examples) were struck using an old type A die.
All coins dated 1993 to 1997 that have been seen use obverse type 2.
If any other die combinations are found, please let me know.
See my Main Coins Index page for acknowledgements
Main Index
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Values Index
Values of 5p and 10p coins.
Pictures of Decimal Ten Pence Coins
Pictures Index
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