Posts Tagged ‘1933’

A rare 1933 Penny is set to fetch a world record £115,000 when it goes to auction in a couple of weeks.

There are just seven 1933 pennies in existence making it the rarest British coin of the 20th century. So it’s no surprise that the Penny has already reached bids in excess of  £72,000 online.

There were originally no plans for the Royal Mint to produce any new pennies in 1933 as there were already plenty in circulation. However, following special requests from the King for a commemorative coin to mark that year, seven coins are believed to have been produced.

The coin features the portrait of King George V on the obverse while Britannia features on the reverse.

Three of the pennies were produced for the King in order for him to place them under important buildings that were under construction at the time. Two of the pennies are at the Royal Mint Museum, and another two are on show at the British Museum.

In 1970, during construction at the Church of St. Cross in Leeds, one of the coins was stolen from the Church’s cornerstone. The whereabouts of this coin remains a mystery.

To prevent another penny being stolen, the Bishop of Ripon ordered that the penny should be unearthed and sold. This coin has also been in private hands since 1972. 

The chance to own the rarest British penny of the 20th century is a once in a generation opportunity. The auction will be held in Dallas, Texas on August 11th 2016.