Ten pence (British coin)

Ten pence

United Kingdom
Value	0.10 pound sterling
Mass	(1968–1992) 11.31 g (1992–present) 6.5 g
Diameter	(1968–1992) 28.5 mm (1992–present) 24.5 mm
Thickness	(Cupro-nickel) 1.85 mm (Steel) 2.05 mm
Edge	Milled
Composition	Cupro-nickel (1971–2012) Nickel-plated steel (2012–)
Years of minting	1968–present
Obverse
Design	Queen Elizabeth II
Designer	Jody Clark
Design date	2015
Reverse
Design	Segment of the Royal Shield
Designer	Matthew Dent
Design date	2008

The British decimal ten pence (10p) coin – often pronounced ten pee – is a unit of currency equalling ten one-hundredths of a pound sterling. Its obverse has featured the profile of Queen Elizabeth II since the coin’s introduction in 1968, replacing the two shilling coin in preparation for decimalisation in 1971.^[1] Four different portraits of the Queen have been used on the coin, with the latest design by Jody Clark being introduced in 2015. The second and current reverse, featuring a segment of the Royal Shield, was introduced in 2008.

Five pence and ten pence coins are legal tender only up to the sum of £5; this means that it is permissible to refuse payment of sums greater than this amount in 5p and 10p coins in order to settle a debt.^[2]

The ten pence coin was originally minted from cupro-nickel (75% Cu, 25% Ni), but since 2012 it has been minted in nickel-plated steel due to the increasing price of metal. From January 2013 the Royal Mint began a programme to gradually remove the previous cupro-nickel coins from circulation with replacement by the nickel-plated steel versions. This will have the side effect of leaving only one circulating reverse and obverse combination (see design section below).^[3]

As of March 2014 there were an estimated 1,631 million 10p coins in circulation with an estimated face value of £163.080 million.^[4]

Design

Obverse

To date, three different obverses have been used. In all cases, the inscription is ELIZABETH II D.G.REG.F.D. 2013,^[5] where 2013 is replaced by the year of minting. In the original design both sides of the coin are encircled by dots, a common feature on coins, known as beading.

As with all new decimal currency, until 1984 the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Arnold Machin appeared on the obverse,^[6] in which the Queen wears the 'Girls of Great Britain and Ireland' Tiara.

Between 1985 and 1997 the portrait by Raphael Maklouf was used,^[6] in which the Queen wears the George IV State Diadem.

In 1992 the 10p coin was reduced in size and the older coins were removed from circulation. The design remained unchanged.

From 1998 to 2015 the portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley was used,^[6] again featuring the tiara, with a signature-mark IRB below the portrait.

As of June 2015, coins bearing the portrait by Jody Clark have been seen in circulation.

Reverse

Original reverse: 1968–2008

The original reverse of the coin, designed by Christopher Ironside, and used from 1971 to 2008, is a crowned lion (formally, Part of the crest of England, a lion passant guardant royally crowned), with the numeral "10" below the lion, and either NEW PENCE (1968–1981) or TEN PENCE (1982–2008) above the lion.

In August 2005 the Royal Mint launched a competition to find new reverse designs for all circulating coins apart from the £2 coin.^[7] The winner, announced in April 2008, was Matthew Dent, whose designs were gradually introduced into the circulating British coinage from mid-2008.^[8] The designs for the 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p and 50p coins depict sections of the Royal Shield that form the whole shield when placed together. The shield in its entirety is featured on the £1 coin. The 10p coin depicts the first quarter of the shield, showing the lions passant from the Royal Banner of England, with the words TEN PENCE above the shield design. The coin's obverse remains largely unchanged, but the beading (the ring of dots around the coin's circumference), which no longer features on the coin's reverse, has also been removed from the obverse.

Mintages

Machin portrait		1968 ~ 336,143,25 1969 ~ 314,008,000 1970 ~ 133,571,000 1971 ~ 63,205,000 1972 ~ 2,500,000 1973 ~ 152,174,000 1974 ~ 92,741,000 1975 ~ 181,559,000 1976 ~ 228,220,000 1977 ~ 59,323,000 1978 ~ 5,000,000 1979 ~ 115,457,000 1980 ~ 88,650,000 1981 ~ 3,487,000 1982–1992 ~ none size reduced

Maklouf portrait
1990 ~ 1,000 1991 ~ 750 1992 ~ 1,125,000 1993 ~ 250 1994 ~ 500 1995 ~ 35,444,000 1996 ~ 118,738,000 1997 ~ 99,196,000

Rank-Broadley portrait
1998–1999 ~ none 2000 ~ 134,727,000 2001 ~ 82,081,000 2002 ~ 80,934,000 2003 ~ 88,118,000 2004 ~ 319,602,000 2005 ~ 69,604,000 2006 ~ 118,803,000 2007 ~ 72,720,000 2008 ~ 9,720,000 (Ironside) 2008 ~ 71,447,000 (Dent) 2009 ~ 84,360,000 2010 ~ 96,600,500 2011 ~ 369,603,850 2012 ~ 86,600,030 2013 ~ 320,200,750 2014 ~ 299,077,000 2015 ~ 222,456,940

References

1. Bignell, C P. "Post decimalisation". Retrieved 2006-05-23.
2. Royal Mint Frequently Asked Questions
3. "Cupro Nickel Replacement Programme". Royal Mint. 2013.
4. "Mintage Figures". Royal Mint. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
5. Clayton, Tony. "Decimal Coins of the UK – Bronze". Retrieved 2006-05-24.
6. "1p Coin". British Royal Mint. Archived from the original on 2006-04-27. Retrieved 2006-05-23.
7. "Royal Mint seeks new coin designs", BBC News, 17 August 2005
8. "Royal Mint unveils new UK coins", 2 April 2008

External links

• Royal Mint – 10p coin
• Coins of the UK – Decimal 10p Coin