Ten pence (British coin) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ten pence

United Kingdom
Value	£0.10
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 ten pence coin, often called 10p, is a coin used in the United Kingdom. It is worth one-tenth of a pound. The coin first came out in 1968. It was made to replace the old florin coin, which was worth two shillings, before the UK switched to a decimal money system in 1971.

The 10p coin has always shown a picture of Queen Elizabeth II on one side. Over the years, four different portraits of the Queen have been used. The newest design by Jody Clark was introduced in 2015. The other side of the coin, called the reverse, has had two main designs. The current design, showing part of the Royal Shield, started in 2008.

At first, 10p coins were made from a mix of copper and nickel, called cupro-nickel. But since 2012, they are made from steel with a nickel coating. This change happened because the price of metals went up. The Royal Mint, which makes the coins, has been slowly replacing the older cupro-nickel coins with the newer steel ones.

In March 2014, there were about 1.6 billion 10p coins being used. This means there was about £163 million worth of 10p coins in circulation.

What Does the 10p Coin Look Like?

The Queen's Portrait (Obverse)

The side of the coin with the Queen's portrait is called the obverse. So far, four different pictures of Queen Elizabeth II have been used on the 10p coin. Until 2015, the coin always said "ELIZABETH II D.G.REG.F.D." and the year it was made. Many coins also have small dots around the edge, which is called beading.

• First Portrait (1968-1984): This picture was designed by Arnold Machin. It shows the Queen wearing a special crown called the 'Girls of Great Britain and Ireland' Tiara.
• Second Portrait (1985-1997): Designed by Raphael Maklouf, this portrait shows the Queen wearing the George IV State Diadem.
• Size Change (1992): In 1992, the 10p coin became smaller. The older, larger coins were taken out of use in 1993. The design of the coin stayed the same, just the size changed.
• Third Portrait (1998-2015): This portrait by Ian Rank-Broadley also shows the Queen wearing the 'Girls of Great Britain and Ireland' Tiara. You can see the letters "IRB" below the portrait.
• Fourth Portrait (2015-Present): Since June 2015, coins with a new portrait by Jody Clark have been in use.

The Reverse Side of the 10p Coin

The reverse is the other side of the coin. It shows a design that represents the United Kingdom.

Original Reverse Design (1968–2008)

Reverse: 1982–2008

The first design on the back of the 10p coin was created by Christopher Ironside. It showed a crowned lion, which is part of the Royal crest of England. Below the lion was the number "10". Above the lion, it said "NEW PENCE" from 1968 to 1981, and then "TEN PENCE" from 1982 to 2008.

Royal Shield Design (2008–Present)

In 2005, the Royal Mint held a competition to find new designs for many British coins. Matthew Dent won this competition. His designs, which started appearing in 2008, show parts of the Royal Shield. If you collect all the different coins (1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p), their reverse designs fit together to form the whole Royal Shield!

The 10p coin shows part of the shield with two lions from the Royal Banner of England. The words "TEN PENCE" are above this design. When this new design came out, the small dots (beading) around the edge of the coin were removed from both sides.

A to Z Design: The Great British Coin Hunt (2018–2019)

In March 2018, the Royal Mint released a special series of 10p coins. There were 26 different designs, one for each letter of the alphabet! These coins celebrate things that are very British. For example:

• A is for Angel of the North (a famous statue).
• B is for Bond... James Bond (the secret agent).
• C is for Cricket (a popular sport).
• D is for Double-decker bus (a famous London bus).
• E is for English breakfast (a traditional meal).
• F is for Fish and chips (a classic British dish).
• G is for Greenwich Mean Time (how time is measured).
• H is for Houses of Parliament (where the government meets).
• I is for Ice cream (a tasty treat).
• J is for Jubilee (a special celebration for the Queen).
• K is for King Arthur (a legendary British king).
• L is for Loch Ness Monster (a famous mythical creature).
• M is for Mackintosh (a type of raincoat).
• N is for NHS (the UK's healthcare system).
• O is for Oak tree (a strong British tree).
• P is for Post box (where you mail letters).
• Q is for Queuing (waiting in line, a British habit!).
• R is for Robin (a common bird).
• S is for Stonehenge (an ancient stone circle).
• T is for Tea (the popular drink).
• U is for Union Flag (the UK flag).
• V is for Village (a small community).
• W is for World Wide Web (the internet!).
• X is for X marks the spot (from treasure maps).
• Y is for Yeoman Warder (guards at the Tower of London).
• Z is for Zebra crossing (a type of pedestrian crossing).

These "A to Z" coins are quite rare. In 2018, 220,000 of each design were made. In 2019, even fewer were made, making them special finds for collectors!

What Does "Legal Tender" Mean?

The 10p coin is considered "legal tender" for amounts up to £5. This means if you owe someone money, they must accept 10p coins (up to £5) to pay off that debt.

However, "legal tender" does not mean that shops have to accept 10p coins for your everyday shopping. Shops can choose what types of payment they accept. So, while a 10p coin is legal tender for paying a debt, a shop can still say no if you try to pay for something with too many of them.

How Many 10p Coins Are Made?

The Royal Mint makes new coins every year. The table below shows how many 10p coins have been made for general use. Sometimes, no coins are made for circulation in a year, but they might still be included in special collector sets.