What is the earliest date that can be found on a currently legal tender coin of the UK? This is a Baloo question - the answer is not the obvious one.

paper_aero

Oldest I can find is 1689 - I have some £2 coins celebrating the tercenteanury of the Bill of Rights and on the obverse are the dates 1689-1989. (If we need a reference I will take a picture and put it on photobucket) Feb 27 08, 5:01 PM

zbeckabee

Here are some great photos of the above coin (along w/ the one pound): http://www.24carat.co.uk/circulatedcoinvaluesframe.html Main Page Product Catalogue Coins by Date 1989 Coin Sets Feb 27 08, 9:46 PM

Baloo55th

Nice one - but I did really mean the issue date rather than a commemoration date. It is a valid answer, but not the answer sought which is still up for grabs... (Lower demoninations, too...) Feb 28 08, 3:08 PM

zbeckabee

The earliest coins in circulation in the UK date back to 1971, hardly any time at all for a coin. Before decimalisation, many British coins in circulation dated back to 1860, or even 1816, so it was quite common to handle coins over 100 years old. When individual coins have been in circulation a long time, they usually become quite worn, and the occurrence of that particular date in change will have decreased, due to loss and wear. http://www.24carat.co.uk/circulatedcoinvaluesframe.html Also -- See Product Catalogue/Coins by date/ for 1780 Maria Theresa Thaler. Feb 28 08, 3:53 PM

Baloo55th

1971's the obvious answer..... There are older still legal tender coins around (careful wording there). Feb 28 08, 4:59 PM

queproblema

Maundy coins survived the decimaliSation. "All Maundy coins, back to 1822, remain legal tender in Britain at their stated value in new pence." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maundy_money#Maundy_coinage Feb 28 08, 7:07 PM

Baloo55th

Yay!! for Qp. All gold coins minted before 1837 are demonitised, so although there are sovereigns from them they ain't money any more. The Maundy coins, originally 1d, 2d, 3d and 4d but now 1p, 2p, 3p, 4p, are legal tender back to the 1822 issue. The pre-decimal ones manage to be legal tender in a decimal age by having been revalued. They don't say d on them, so they can count as either d or p. Very unlikely to find them in your change as they are silver and collectable (and hence worth more than the face value like the sovereign which is only worth £1 if you're daft enough to try to spend one...). Legal tender and currency aren't quite the same thing. Feb 29 08, 3:50 PM

whee

The Royal Mint does not mention the 1822 cutoff in Wikipedia. The Royal Mint shows 1670 being the first dated 1 penny and 2 penny Maundy money. Therefore it appears the correct answer is 1670, unless the 1946 coinage act specifically states 1822, to which I can find no reference. http://www.royalmint.com/Corporate/BritishCoinage/Maundy_Money.aspx http://www.royalmint.com/Corporate/BritishCoinage/LegalTenderGuidelines.aspx Feb 29 08, 6:48 PM

Baloo55th

Here's why: Prior to 1822, ordinary silver coins were used, but the special coins now used were introduced then. It is these that were retained as legal tender in 1971 by revaluing them as decimal not £sd values. http://www.encyclopedian.com/ma/Maundy-money.html http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/British_coinage_-_Current_coinage/id/620105 Feb 29 08, 7:47 PM