Penny (British pre-decimal coin)
The British pre-decimal penny was a denomination of sterling coinage worth 1⁄240 of one pound or 1⁄12 of one shilling. Its symbol was d, from the Roman denarius. It was a continuation of the earlier English penny, and in Scotland it had the same monetary value as one pre-1707 Scottish shilling. The penny was originally minted in silver, but from the late 18th century it was minted in copper, and then after 1860 in bronze.
Image: Penny, Great Britain, 1797 George III
Image: Penny, Great Britain, 1806 George III
Image: GREAT BRITAIN, WILLIAM IV, 1831 HALFPENNY b Flickr woody 1778a
Image: GREAT BRITAIN, WILLIAM IV, 1831 HALFPENNY a Flickr woody 1778a
£sd, spoken as "pounds, shillings and pence", is the popular name for the pre-decimal currencies once common throughout Europe. The abbreviation originates from the Latin currency denominations librae, solidi, and denarii. In the United Kingdom, these were referred to as pounds, shillings, and pence.
A sampler in the Guildhall Museum of Rochester illustrates the conversion between pence and shillings and shillings and pounds.
Old till in Ireland, with "shortcut" keys in various £sd denominations (lower numbers) and their "new pence" equivalent (upper numbers)
Toy coin, which teaches children the value of a shilling
Carolingian denarius