George V Penny Coins (1910-1936)

George V Penny Coins

The English penny is believed to have first appeared as a coin in Anglo-Saxon times, however, it wasn't mass produced for general circulation until the late eighteenth century.

The pre-decimal penny was worth 1/240th of a pound in British money and was updated at various points in history to bear the portrait of the reigning monarch. The George V penny was widely produced during King George V's reign from 1910 to his death in 1936.

If you'd like to add a George V penny to your coin collection, you'll find thousands of options to choose from. A range of collections and bulk lots are available and feature either several George V pennies or a range of coins from his reign.

George V Penny Production

From 1911 George V pennies were minted every year until production stopped for three years in 1922. During this time the composition of the coins changed from an alloy consisting of 95% copper, 4% tin, and 1% zinc to an alloy consisting of 95.5% copper, 3% tin and 1.5% zinc.

Subsequently, production continued as normal, until 1933 when just seven George V pennies were minted. While these are the rarest George V pennies in existence, you'll find a wide selection of highly collectable reproductions available from this year.

One side of the George V penny features a seated figure of Britannia, with a trident in the left hand and a shield bearing the Union flag in right, while the reverse has a portrait of King George V. It's widely believed that the size of the monarch's head was made smaller on George V pennies produced between 1928 and 1936.

Some coins are believed to be rarer than others due to their minting location, which can be identified by their mintmark just above the date on the Britannia side. George V pennies minted at Ralph Heaton & Sons in Birmingham in 1912, 1918 and 1919 are highly collectable as are those minted at Kings Norton in Birmingham in 1918 and 1919.