Victoria Penny Coins (1837-1901)

Start or Expand Your Collection of Victoria Pennies From 1837 to 1901

If you are a numismatist or want to become one, collecting Victoria pennies is a great way to expand your collection or start one. Victorian pennies were minted between 1837 and 1901 in three different versions. It is easy to find old Victorian pennies for sale on eBay.

The design on the Victorian penny changed as Queen Victoria experienced different stages of her life. Mint employees produced the first Victoria penny between 1839 and 1860. It shows a young Queen Victoria on the obverse of the coin surrounded by the words "VICTORIA DEI GRATIA." The reverse of this Victoria penny shows Britannia with shield and trident and the words "BRITANNIAR; REG: FID: + DEF." Employees stamped them with 17 different dates. The second Victorian penny shows Queen Victoria wearing a laureate wreath with her hair back in a bun on the obverse, and the reverse of the coin shows Britannia with a lighthouse to the right and a sailing ship to the left. The obverse shows the words "VICTORIA D: G: BRITT: REG: F: D:" while the reverse shows the words "One Penny." Employees minted this coin between 1860 and 1894. They minted the last Victorian penny between 1895 and 1901. It shows the widowed Queen Victoria wearing a veil on its obverse and Britannia on its reverse.

You can find many variations in Victorian pennies, including:

• Overstrikes - These errors are seen on many Victorian pennies. Examine the last number of the date of the coin, and you may see one number covering another.
• Change in 4 – The No. 4 on Victorian pennies minted in 1839, 1840, 1842, and 1844 has a shorter tail than those minted in 1841 and 1843. The tail of the numeral is much more elaborate starting in 1845.
• Change in 5 - There are two different No. 5s on coins minted in 1853. The coin may have a regular 5 or an italicized numeral.
• Large and small dates - Some Victorian pennies have small dates, while others have large dates. If you look at the No. 7 on pennies from 1856 to 1859, some have a tall, slender 7 while others have a short numeral.
• Dot on the forehead - Some dies did not stamp the coin correctly. Therefore, Queen Victoria has a dot on her forehead on some Victorian pennies.

To determine the value of a 1901 penny or the 1853 Victoria Dei Gratia coin value, most British collectors use a scale that goes from one to eight. They assign one to coins where you can still tell that it is a Victoria penny, but very few details are visible. Experts give a two to coins where you can see a few details. If you can read almost all the lettering, especially the date, then a four is given. Numerists give coins a five if most of the features are visible. A penny is rated six if you can see most of the detail lines. The difference between a six and a seven is the amount of luster left on the Victorian penny. An eight rating is given only to uncirculated coins.