Victorian Old Head Pennies

      The penny is among the oldest forms of British currency, and has been in use since the 8th century AD. This article focuses on the 'old head' penny type of Queen Victoria (1837-1901).
      Old Head pennies were the last pennies to be issued during the reign of Victoria, from 1895-1901. They were designed by Thomas Brock, who also worked on the statue of Sir Rowland Hill and a memorial for the victims of the sinking of the Titanic. Old Heads carry the inscription:

'VICTORIA DEI GRA BRITT REGINA FID DEF IND IMP'

Above: 1896 Old Head penny. Top, obverse; below, reverse.

There are two varieties of a 1895 penny; one has the trident 1mm away from the 'P' in penny, and in the other the trident is 2mm away, the latter being quite rare. The 1897 also has two versions, with the sea at different heights. The most common penny is the 1901, as many were kept as souvenirs due to the death of the queen on 22nd January that year. 

Any information would be appreciated,

James

Welcome

Hello! My name is James, and I am a coin collector from the UK, and I collect British coins that have been minted before decimalization in  1971. I haven't got a large collection, however, I;m using this site as a log of my ramblings around antique shops, and pestering relatives. I hope you enjoy seeing the progress of my collection, and I'll be sure to keep you updated about my collection.

Thanks for watching,
James