British twenty-five pence coin facts for kids
| United Kingdom | |
| Value | £0.25 |
|---|---|
| Mass | 28.28 g |
| Diameter | 38.61 mm |
| Thickness | 2.5 mm |
| Edge | milled |
| Composition | 75% Cu, 25% Ni |
| Years of minting | 1971–1981 |
| Obverse | |
| Design | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Designer | Arnold Machin |
| Design date | 1963 |
| Reverse | |
_reverse.jpg) |
|
| Design | Lady Diana Spencer and Charles, Prince of Wales |
| Designer | Philip Nathan |
| Design date | 1981 |
The British twenty-five pence (25p) coin was a special coin made for important events. It was part of the British money system after the country switched to decimal currency. These coins were made between 1972 and 1981.
The 25p coin was like the older "crown" coin. It was worth a quarter of a pound, which is £0.25. What's cool about these coins is that they don't have their value written on them! This was unusual for decimal coins.
These coins were made to celebrate special moments, not for everyday shopping. But they are still legal tender, which means you can use them to pay for things, especially at Post Offices. Each coin weighs 28.28 g (0.909 ozt) and is 38.61 mm wide.
The Royal Mint stopped making 25p coins after 1981. They were quite large and expensive to produce for their value. Later, in 1990, the "crown" idea came back as the five pound coin. It had the same size and weight, but was worth much more! You can tell the difference because the five pound coin clearly shows its value.
Special 25p Coin Designs
Here are the different 25p coins that were made:
| 1972 Coin | This coin celebrated the silver wedding anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. They had been married for 25 years!
The front of the coin showed a picture of Queen Elizabeth II. This picture was designed by Arnold Machin. Around the edge, it said "D·G·REG·F·D· ELIZABETH II". The back of the coin had the letters "EP" (for Elizabeth and Philip) with a crown and flowers. There was also a figure of Eros, who is a god of love. It said "ELIZABETH AND PHILIP" and "20 NOVEMBER 1947 - 1972". Arnold Machin also designed this side. Both sides of the coin had dots around the edge. The edge of the coin was milled, meaning it had small ridges. Over 7.4 million of these coins were made from a mix of copper and nickel. A smaller number (100,000) were made from silver. |
| 1977 Coin | This coin celebrated Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee. This marked 25 years since she became Queen.
The front of this coin showed Queen Elizabeth II riding a horse. It looked similar to the special "crown" coin made for her coronation in 1953. The words around the edge were "ELIZABETH·II DG·REG FD 1977". The back of the coin showed items used in the Queen's coronation ceremony. These were the Ampulla and Anointing Spoon, which are very old objects used for special parts of the coronation. They were shown with a crown and surrounded by flowers.
Both sides of this coin were designed by Arnold Machin. The edge was also milled. More than 37 million of these coins were made from copper and nickel. About 377,000 were made from silver. |
| 1980 Coin | This coin was made to celebrate the eightieth birthday of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. She was Queen Elizabeth II's mother.
The front of the coin showed the standard picture of Queen Elizabeth II by Arnold Machin. It said "D·G·REG·F·D· ELIZABETH II". The back of the coin had a picture of the Queen Mother. Around her, there was a pattern of bows and lions. This was a clever design, as her maiden name (before she was married) was Bowes-Lyon! The words on this side were "QUEEN ELIZABETH THE QUEEN MOTHER" and "AUGUST 4th 1980". This side was designed by Professor Richard Guyatt. Both sides had dots around the edge, and the coin had a milled edge. About 9.3 million copper-nickel coins were made, along with 83,672 silver coins. |
| 1981 Coin | This coin celebrated the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer. They were a very famous royal couple.
The front of the coin showed the usual picture of Queen Elizabeth II by Arnold Machin. It had the words "D·G·REG·F·F· ELIZABETH II". The back of the coin showed two profile pictures: one of Lady Diana Spencer and one of The Prince of Wales. They were both facing left. The words on this side were "H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES AND LADY DIANA SPENCER 1981". This design was created by Philip Nathan. Both sides of the coin had dots around the edge, and the edge was milled. Over 26.7 million copper-nickel coins were made. There were also 218,000 silver coins. |
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See also
- Quarter sovereign – A gold coin introduced in 2009, also worth 25 pence.
