British Penny
OriginUK
First Minted700 AD
MaterialCopper/Bronze
TypeCoin
About British Penny
One of the longest continuously used coin names in the world. First minted in silver by King Offa of Mercia around 700 AD, based on the Frankish denier. The penny was the main English coin for over a thousand years. Copper pennies were introduced in 1797 as cartwheel pennies weighing 28 grams. The pre-decimal penny was 1/240 of a pound sterling. Decimalisation in 1971 created the modern penny worth 1/100 of a pound.
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