These pennies were struck with this design from 1895 to 1901. We call them Veiled Head Pennies in the UK. My Mother always referred to them as 'Widow of Windsor' pennies! They could still be found in circulation right up to decimalization on February 15, 1971, and yours looks as if it may well have still been in circulation in the 1960s or later. The obverse portrait was by Thomas Brock. The reverse design of Britannia was a modified design that was first used in 1895, omitting the lighthouse and ship that had previously appeared to the left and right of Britannia. This reverse was used with minor changes on the pennies of Edward VII and George V, and replaced by a new portrait of Britannia on George VI's pennies in 1937, with the lighthouse reinstated on her left.
These coins are still very common and in Good to Fine condition can still be pulled out of dealers' junk trays in the UK.
Edited by NumisRob
09/28/2025 4:39 pm