Bun penny facts for kids
The bun penny is a special old coin from the United Kingdom. It was a one-penny coin (1d) made of bronze. The Royal Mint, which is like the official coin factory, made these coins from 1860 to 1894. The pictures on both sides of the coin were designed by an artist named Leonard Charles Wyon. This coin was the very first bronze penny made by the Royal Mint. It was part of a series of pennies that were used until 1971, when the UK switched to a new money system called decimalisation. The bun penny got its name because of Queen Victoria's hair on the coin. Her hair is styled in a neat bun!
Bun pennies were very common in the UK until the 1960s. There are many different types of these coins, and some are very rare. People who collect coins, a hobby called numismatics, often enjoy collecting bun pennies.
Why the Bun Penny Was Made
Before the bun penny, the UK used copper coins. These copper coins were quite large and heavy. People wanted smaller, lighter coins that were easier to carry. So, the government decided to switch to bronze coins. Bronze coins were lighter and cheaper to make.
In 1859, a law was passed to allow these new bronze coins to be made. This law made sure that the new bronze coins would be protected from counterfeiting, just like the old copper ones. This change made everyday transactions much easier for people.
How Many Bun Pennies Were Made
The number of bun pennies made each year is called the "mintage." A higher mintage means more coins were made that year. Sometimes, coins were also made at the Heaton Mint in Birmingham, not just the Royal Mint in London. You can tell these coins apart because they have a small "H" mark.
Here's a list of how many bun pennies were made each year:
- 1860 ~ 5,053,440
- 1861 ~ 36,449,280
- 1862 ~ 50,534,400
- 1863 ~ 28,062,700
- 1864 ~ 3,440,640
- 1865 ~ 8,601,600
- 1866 ~ 9,999,360
- 1867 ~ 5,483,520
- 1868 ~ 1,182,720
- 1869 ~ 2,580,480
- 1870 ~ 5,695,022
- 1871 ~ 1,290,318
- 1872 ~ 8,494,572
- 1873 ~ 8,494,200
- 1874 ~ 5,621,865
- 1874H ~ 6,666,240 (Heaton Mint, Birmingham)
- 1875 ~ 10,691,040
- 1875H ~ 752,640 (Heaton Mint, Birmingham)
- 1876H ~ 11,074,560 (Heaton Mint, Birmingham)
- 1877 ~ 9,624,747
- 1878 ~ 2,764,470
- 1879 ~ 7,666,476
- 1880 ~ 3,000,831
- 1881 ~ 2,302,362
- 1881H ~ 3,763,200 (Heaton Mint, Birmingham)
- 1882H ~ 7,526,400 (Heaton Mint, Birmingham)
- 1883 ~ 6,327,438
- 1884 ~ 11,702,802
- 1885 ~ 7,145,862
- 1886 ~ 6,087,759
- 1887 ~ 5,315,085
- 1888 ~ 5,125,020
- 1889 ~ 12,559,737
- 1890 ~ 15,330,840
- 1891 ~ 17,885,961
- 1892 ~ 10,501,671
- 1893 ~ 8,161,737
- 1894 ~ 3,883,452
