British

Coinage of the United Kingdom is also known as British coinage. On February 15, 1971, the British currency was decimalised, which was known as the pound or pound sterling. Initially, before the decimalisation took place, there were 240 (old) pence in a pound. However, currently there are 100 (new) pence and were marked with the words ’new penny’ (singular) or ’new pence’ (plural) to differentiate them from the old coins. The procedure of ’Trial of the Pyx’ is used to check the newly minted coins for their weight, size and composition. This procedure has been used since the thirteen century.

Roughly, around three and a quarter billion pounds of British coins are in circulation. In 1983, the first pound coin was introduced as a substitute to the Bank of England 1 pound banknote. The modern British coins feature a profile of the current monarch’s head. With the change in monarchs, the direction in which the monarch faces also changes. The Latin inscription, "Elizabeth ii Dei Gratia Regina Fidei Defensor" in abbreviated form is included in all the current coins, which translates as "Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen and Defender of the Faith". Old and rare British coins are available online.