1070 Penny – William I (William the Conqueror)

Classification: House of NORMANDY, NORMAN KINGS.

William I, usually known as William the Conqueror, was born about 1028 in Falaise, France. Son of Robert the Magnificent and an unmarried mother, Herleva, he became Duke of Normandy from 1035.

When William's first cousin once removed, Edward the Confessor, died William invaded England, killing King Harold at the Battle of of Hastings on 14 October 1066 and claimed the throne.

As William I he ruled England well although applying high taxation. The Doomsday Book (The 'Great Survey') in 1085 was really a list of land-holdings to see what taxes needed to be paid.

William died on 9 September 1087, aged about 59, at the Priory of Saint Gervase, Rouen, Duchy of Normandy.
The Penny is one of the most famous British coins. The coin itself has been around since 600AD and at various times has been struck in silver, copper and bronze. Originally split into halfpennies and farthing, it is now itself the least denomination coin currently in circulation. Made from copper (actually copper plated steel).

Originally there were 12 pennies in one shilling and 240 pennies in £1; since decimalisation in 1973 there are 100 new pence in one pound.

Specifications of the Penny

• Diameter: (Bronze) 31 mm (since 1860)
• Edge: Plain
• Composition:
  • (1707–1796) Silver
  • (1797–1859) Copper
  • (1860–1970) Bronze
• Years: 1707–1970

Not all mints are located in a single place. From the Roman days through to the middle ages it was easier to have local moneyers (trusted people who were allowed to mint coins) rather than make the coins centrally and then have the security and logistics problem of distribution.

There were often dozens of mints, sometimes all making the same coin. The variations and mintmarks are exciting for numismatists, although sometimes it takes an expert to analyse them.

Most English Provincial Mints began to close after 1279 when the Royal Mint opened The Tower Mint (called so as it was housed at the Tower of London), although some continued working for much longer. The central mint gave the King and the Master of the Royal Mint much more control over the production and quality of English coinage.
The United Kingdom (UK) is the Union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is often refered to as Great Britain (GBR). It has a long, rich history.

The orignal coinage was Pounds, Shillings and Pence but since decimalisation on 15 February 1971, it is £1 = 100p, that is One Pound = 100 pence. The coinage of the UK is also a long history, the Royal Mint being established as long ago as 886AD when coins were hammered. Today there is perhaps 30 billion coins in circulation, and many (numismatic) collectors coins and sets are issued frequently in gold, silver and other metals.