Introduction: The GB & Ireland “Edward VII” pennies are an easy series to collect as there is only one major variety (the 1902 low tide) and that too is not exactly scarce. As with all of the earlier GB & Ireland bronzes, the highest grades command a significant premium and the coins in the lower…
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…
Background: George VI’s reign included the economically disastrous Word War II which culminated in his overseeing the dismantling of the British Empire to the point where it had to be transformed into a weaker / less cohesive British Commonwealth. The biggest loss was the independence and breakup of India into three nation states – India,…
Background: Although British trade & commerce were deemed not to need any more pennies in 1953, over 1.3 million of them were minted to satisfy the public demand for a souvenir of their new Queen, i.e. if it were not for the new sovereign, no bronze pennies would have been minted in 1953. In fact,…
The Old Currency Exchange is a specialist dealer and valuer of Irish & GB coins, tokens and banknotes 