Threepence (British Coin) - Brass Vs Silver Threepences

Brass Vs Silver Threepences

By the end of George V's reign the threepence had become somewhat unpopular in England because of its small size, but it remained popular in Scotland. It was consequently decided to introduce a more substantial threepenny coin which would have a more convenient weight/value ratio than the silver coinage. The silver threepence continued to be minted, as there may have been some uncertainty about how well the new coin would be accepted. The Edward VIII era saw the planned introduction of a new, larger, nickel-brass (79% copper, 20% zinc, 1% nickel) twelve-sided threepence coin. This coin weighed 6.6 grams and the diameter was 21 mm across the sides and 22 mm across the corners. The obverse shows a right-facing effigy of the king with the inscription, and the reverse shows a three-headed thrift plant with the inscription . Only very small numbers of these coins were minted, and they are extremely rare today.

During the reign of king George VI, circulation silver threepences were produced only in 1937–1945 (and almost all the 1945 examples were subsequently melted down). The obverse shows a left-facing effigy of the king with the inscription, while the reverse has an elegant design of a shield of St George lying on a Tudor rose, dividing the date, with the inscription . The nickel-brass threepence took over the bulk of the production of the denomination, being produced in all years between 1937 and 1952 except 1947. Apart from the king's head and name, and the weight being increased to 6.8 grams, the coin was identical to that prepared for Edward VIII. Coins dated 1946 and 1949 were minted in far fewer numbers than the rest, and as nickel-brass wears very quickly, higher grade specimens of these coins are expensive to buy now (both over £275 for uncirculated examples).