1992 Ten Pence Die Varieties

[Ætheling]

During the early 1990s Great Britain underwent a period of currency changes. These currency changes on the surface appeared to have been intitated by nothing more than inflation. Indeed this was the case and the mint was keen to maximise its profits on three of the minor cupro-nickel coins in production, the five, ten and fifty pence coins.

 

The changes however were to produce two major things. Firstly a final break with the predecimal currency. Secondly a new coin with five different varities that the majority of the British collecting world care either little for or know next to nothing about.

 

In 1990 the first of these changes took place when the decimal five pence as introduced in 1968 was reduced in size considerably. In the winter of 1990 the old large five pence pieces and the same size/weight one shilling pieces issued from 1816-1966 that had been circulating as five pences (in theory) were demonetised.

 

 

The final break with the past though was yet to come as the large ten pence pieces from 1968 onwards and the old two shilling pieces issued from 1849-1967 were all still in active circulation.

 

Here's selection of coins that were all circulating as ten pence pieces during 1992.

 

 

 

In 1992 the second of the currency reforms came into force when the smaller ten pence piece was issued. Initially the Type 1 ten pence made its debut.

 

The Type 1 Percentage of mintage = c. 40% (c. 516,697,268 pieces)

 

 

Obverse; I, L and A in Elizabeth point between the dots.

Reverse; The 1 in 10 on the reverse points at a dot.

Edge; Wire type.

 

 

 

 

 

The wire edge is the coin pictured on the right below, (the edges are curved in to make the point with the milling on rather narrow when compared to the flat edge variant next to it).

 

 

 

This type is not available in either UNC or Proof sets.

 

Type 1 were the earliest coins produced and are esily identifiable by the fact that their edge is curved, the five pence coins from 1990-1992 are also minted with this type of edge. During 1992 however it must have been decided that this type of edge was unsatisfactory and thus a new type of flat edge was introduced to both the ten pence and the five pence coins.

 

 

The Type 2 Percentage of mintage = c. 40% (c. 516,697,268 pieces)

 

Obverse; I, L and A in Elizabeth point between the dots.

Reverse; The 1 in 10 on the reverse points at a dot.

Edge; Flat type.

 

 

 

This type is not available in either UNC or Proof sets.