Legendary: fewer than 100 minted. Sells often: 79 verified sales in the last 12 months.
1 Penny - Elizabeth II 1st portrait with 'BRITT:OMN' (1953)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1953 |
| Denomination | 1 Penny |
| Mintage | 1,308,400 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Circulation | Circulating |
| Demonetised | 1971 |
| Composition | Bronze |
| Weight | 9.450g |
| Diameter | 30.8mm |
| Thickness | 1.60mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Mary Gillick |
| Rev. artist | Leonard Charles Wyon |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Young laureate portrait of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, legend around.
Seated figure of Britannia right, with trident in left hand and shield bearing the Union flag in right, sea behind with lighthouse to left, denomination above and date in exergue.
ONE PENNY
with 'BRITT:OMN' 1p market value
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Realised auction prices · ⭐ Pro Expand rows for individual sale records| Grade | Latest | Median | 30d Δ | All-time range | Sales (1yr) | Total sales | Last sale | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNC | £1.25 🔒 eBay | £4.36 | – | £1.25 – £20.00 | 4 | 4 | 06-09-2026 | |
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| BU | £2.20 🔒 eBay | £2.20 (1) | – | £2.20 – £2.20 | 1 | 1 | 27-09-2026 | |
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| EF | £8.66 🔒 eBay | £7.59 (2) | – | £6.51 – £8.66 | 2 | 2 | 19-09-2026 | |
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| VF | £1.16 🔒 eBay | £4.65 | ▲6.1% | £1.16 – £20.00 | 60 | 60 | 15-10-2026 | |
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| F | £5.45 🔒 eBay | £5.45 (2) | – | £5.45 – £5.45 | 2 | 2 | 07-08-2026 | |
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| aUNC | £9.19 🔒 eBay | £9.19 | – | £9.19 – £9.73 | 3 | 3 | 08-09-2026 | |
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| PR-64 | £63.65 🔒 eBay | £63.65 (1) | – | £63.65 – £63.65 | 1 | 1 | 13-07-2026 | |
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| PR-65 | £9.68 🔒 eBay | £14.55 | – | £9.68 – £38.65 | 6 | 6 | 21-09-2026 | |
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About the 1953 1 Penny - Elizabeth II – with 'BRITT:OMN'
The 1953 1 Penny - Elizabeth II – with 'BRITT:OMN' is a circulating 1 penny coin, struck in bronze. It weighs 9.45g and measures 30.8mm across. Reverse design: Seated figure of Britannia right, with trident in left hand and shield bearing the Union flag in right, sea behind with lighthouse to left, denomination above and date in exergue.
1,308,400 were struck. It is no longer legal tender (withdrawn 1971), so its value is to collectors only.
Common questions
How much is the 1953 1 Penny - Elizabeth II – with 'BRITT:OMN' worth?
Verified sold prices for the 1953 1 Penny - Elizabeth II – with 'BRITT:OMN' run from £2.20 to £63.65 across 8 grades, taking the median for each grade. Condition makes the difference, so check the grade table above before pricing one.
How many 1953 pennies were made?
Wikipedia and Coin Hunter both give 1,308,400 pennies dated 1953, and CoinVarieties rounds it to 1,308,000. That is far below every later Elizabeth II date: the next lowest, 1961, has 48,313,400. The 1953 coins were made for the coronation sets.
Were 1953 pennies issued for circulation?
No. There were enough pennies in circulation, so the 1953 coins were made for the coronation specimen sets. Wikipedia and Tony Clayton both note that the sets sold for little more than face value, and many were broken up and the pennies spent.
Is the 1953 penny legal tender?
No. Old pennies were withdrawn after decimalisation and ceased to be legal tender after 31 August 1971, the date given by the Royal Mint Museum for the end of the transitional period and by Tony Clayton for the penny's demonetisation.
What does BRITT OMN mean on the 1953 penny?
It abbreviates Britanniarum Omnium, describing Elizabeth II as queen of all the Britains. The words appear only on 1953 coins. Wikipedia, citing the Lobel and Seaby catalogues, says they were dropped because the Commonwealth by then included republics.
How do I identify the 1953 1 Penny - Elizabeth II – with 'BRITT:OMN'?
Check the weight 9.45g and diameter 30.8mm and the metal (bronze) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
The penny was the one bronze coin the country did not need in 1953. So many were already in circulation that none was struck for general use that year; Wikipedia, citing Peck, notes it was the only denomination between the farthing and the half crown without a circulation issue. Pennies were made instead for the specimen sets issued for the Queen's coronation.
Wikipedia and Coin Hunter record 1,308,400 pennies dated 1953. The sets sold for only a slight advance on face value, and Wikipedia and Tony Clayton both note that many were broken up, so 1953 pennies did reach change before decimalisation. The next pennies for circulation were not struck until 1961.
Mary Gillick's portrait of the young Queen faces right, laureate and uncrowned, with the legend ELIZABETH II DEI GRA BRITT OMN REGINA F D, meaning Elizabeth II, by the grace of God, queen of all the Britains, defender of the faith. The Royal Mint Museum records that the soft modelling wore quickly and that the Mint later cut the portrait more deeply. From 1954 the legend lost BRITT OMN.
The reverse is the seated Britannia with shield and trident, ONE PENNY around and the date below. Wikipedia credits the figure to Leonard Charles Wyon after an earlier design by his father William Wyon. The lighthouse beside her was restored on the Edward VIII patterns and kept on the penny to the end. Clayton notes that the Elizabeth II reverse has round beads at the rim where the George VI pennies had teeth, which is why a toothed 1953 coin stands out.
Varieties and errors
Tony Clayton records that possibly one 1953 penny is known with a toothed reverse border like the George VI coins, probably from trials for the new portrait. Clayton's value tables list it as unique.
Collecting notes
The 1953 penny turns up both as a set coin and as a worn coin that was spent. Check the legend for BRITT OMN and the rim for beads rather than teeth. Clayton also lists a 1953 proof.
Pennies without BRITT OMN, struck in quantity from 1961, are on the 1954 to 1967 penny page. Old pennies ceased to be legal tender after 31 August 1971.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- History of the British penny (1901 to 1970), Wikipedia (read 10 Oct 2026)
- 1953 Penny Value, Elizabeth II, Coin Hunter (read 10 Oct 2026)
- The Penny, Coins of the UK (Tony Clayton) (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Great Britain 1953 penny, CoinVarieties (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Mary Gillick, Royal Mint Museum (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Penny (British pre-decimal coin), Wikipedia (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Values of One Penny Coins, Coins of the UK (Tony Clayton) (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Decimalisation, Royal Mint Museum (read 10 Oct 2026)
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