Background:

Nobody thinks about British George V bronze pennies without thinking about the famous 1933 penny rarity. It is, perhaps, the most well-known British penny and many schoolboy collectors started the hobby by checking their pocket change for a 1933. Since these pennies circulated in Ireland right up until 1971, many Irish collectors also hoped they would find one too.

• O’Brien Rare Coin Review: Why is the 1933 British Penny so valuable?

There are other varieties to look out for in this reign, e.g. the H and KN mint marks from the Heaton and Kings Norton mint, respectively. There is also a unique 1919 KN planchet error struck in cupro-nickel – see link below.

• O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Ireland (George V) Pennies Struck by the King’s Norton Mint

Bronze Penny: George V

• Alloy: Bronze (95% copper, 4% tin and 1% zinc)
• Weight: 9.4g
• Diameter: 30.8mm
• Edge: Plain
• Designers
  • Obverse: Bertram MacKennal (BM)
  • Reverse: Harold Wilson Parker (WP)

Obverse: Type 1 (1911-26)

• Bare head of King George V facing left,with the surrounding legend::
  • Legend: +GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REX FID:DEF:IND: IMP:
  • Full Latin text: GEORGIVS V DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM OMNIUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR INDIAE IMPERATOR
  • Translation: George the Fifth, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britains, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India

Obverse: Type 2 (1926-35)

• Bare head of King George V facing left,with the surrounding legend::
  • Legend: +GEORGIVS V DEI GRA: BRITT: OMN: REX FID: DEF: IND: IMP:
  • Full Latin text: GEORGIVS V DEI GRATIA BRITANNIARUM OMNIUM REX FIDEI DEFENSOR INDIAE IMPERATOR
  • Translation: George the Fifth, by the Grace of God, King of all the Britains, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India
• The differences on the modified effigy are:
  • The colons are further apart.
  • The the border teeth are slightly fewer, wider and in higher relief.
  • The initials of the engraver BM are not punctuated and the B of BM is level
    with the I in IMP (they are also very faintly struck)
    • Freeman lists this variety as having an estimated 50,001-100,000 in existence

Reverse:

• Britannia seated facing right, wearing a helmet, holding a trident, hand resting on a shield, with the words ‘ONE PENNY’ in the fields, and date below.
• A lighthouse is in the background to the left of Britannia.

Mintage & Market Values:

Obverse, Type 1 (1911-26)

• “H” mint mark struck at Ralph Heaton & Sons, Birmingham – Sp#4052
• “KN” mint mark struck at Kings Norton Metal Company, Birmingham – Sp#4053
• Issues without a mint mark were struck at Royal Mint, Tower Hill, London – Sp#4051

There is also a 1922 ‘mule’ penny with 1927 reverse – not sure how this came about but they are rarely seen; they are not known in the higher grades and, therefore, are likely to have come from circulation.

• This 1922 ‘mule’ is a rare variety and is well worth looking out for.

Obverse, Type 2 (1926-36)

 

Further Reading:

 

• Penny (1d)

  • Copper Pennies
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Ireland Copper Pennies of George IV
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Ireland Copper Pennies of William IV
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Ireland Copper Pennies of Victoria
  • Bronze Pennies
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Ireland Bronze Pennies of Victoria
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Ireland Bronze Pennies of Edward VII
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Ireland Bronze Pennies of George V
      • O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Ireland Pennies Struck by the King’s Norton Mint
      • O’Brien Rare Coin Review: Why is the 1933 British Penny so valuable?
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Northern Ireland Bronze Pennies of George VI
    • O’Brien Coin Guide: GB & Northern Ireland Bronze Pennies of Elizabeth II
      • O’Brien Rare Coin Review: Why is the 1954 British Penny so valuable?