Legendary: fewer than 100 minted.
1 Penny - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal 2nd issue (1954–1970)
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1954–1970 |
| Denomination | 1 Penny |
| Mintage | 1,088 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Series | Maundy Money |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Silver (.925) (925/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 0.470g · 0.0140 t oz |
| Diameter | 11.0mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Mary Gillick |
| Rev. artist | Jean Baptiste Merlen |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Young laureate bust of Queen Elizabeth II right, legend around.
Crowned denomination dividing date within oak wreath.
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Daily limit reachedAbout the 1954 1 Penny - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal – 2nd issue
The 1954 1 Penny - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal – 2nd issue is a collector 1 penny coin issued from 1954 to 1970 in the Maundy Money series, struck in 92.5% silver. It weighs 0.47g and measures 11mm across. Reverse design: Crowned denomination dividing date within oak wreath.
A mintage of 1,088 is recorded for one date of this type; figures for each year are not held.
Common questions
How much is the 1954 1 Penny - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal – 2nd issue worth?
No verified sale of the 1954 1 Penny - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal – 2nd issue has been logged on MyCoinage yet.
Where was Maundy money given out from 1954 to 1970?
Wikipedia records that in these years the service was held at Westminster Abbey in even-numbered years and at provincial cathedrals in odd ones. The Royal Mint's list includes Southwark (1955), St Albans (1957), Windsor (1959), Rochester, Chelmsford, Canterbury, Durham and Selby Abbey (1969).
Did the Queen hand out the Maundy money every year?
No. The Royal Mint lists four years in this period when someone else officiated: the Lord High Almoner in 1954, the Queen Mother in 1960 and 1970, and the Princess Royal in 1964. The coins were struck and distributed as usual.
What is a pre-decimal Maundy penny worth in face value?
One new penny. Wikipedia explains that at decimalisation all Maundy pieces, including those struck before 1971, became by law denominated in new pence, more than doubling their face value. Tony Clayton also records the 1971 revaluation as 1, 2, 3 and 4 new pence.
How do I tell a 1954 to 1970 Maundy penny from a 1953 one?
Read the legend. The 1953 Maundy coins include BRITT OMN in the Queen's titles; from 1954 those words were dropped. Tony Clayton notes this was the only change ever made to the Elizabeth II Maundy obverse, since Gillick's portrait stayed throughout.
How do I identify the 1954 1 Penny - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal – 2nd issue?
Check the weight 0.47g and diameter 11mm and the metal (92.5% silver) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
From 1954 the Maundy coins followed the rest of the coinage in dropping BRITT OMN from the Queen's titles, and in that form the pre-decimal Maundy penny was struck every year to 1970. Tony Clayton lists every date from 1954 to 1970 under this second type. The Royal Mint Museum notes that the penny has been struck only for the Royal Maundy since the Restoration of Charles II, so the Maundy penny continues the small silver penny of earlier centuries.
Wikipedia records that from 1954 to 1970 the ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey in even-numbered years and at a provincial cathedral in odd ones. The Royal Mint's list of locations shows Southwark Cathedral in 1955, St Albans Abbey in 1957, St George's Chapel, Windsor in 1959 and Selby Abbey in 1969, among others.
The Queen did not attend every year. The Royal Mint records that the Lord High Almoner officiated in 1954 while she was on a Commonwealth tour, the Queen Mother in 1960 and 1970, and the Princess Royal in 1964.
The obverse keeps Mary Gillick's portrait. The Royal Mint and the Royal Mint Museum both note that Maundy money retained her portrait for the whole reign, long after it had left the circulating coins. Wikipedia adds that at decimalisation the Royal Mint Advisory Commission recommended keeping it out of affection, and the Queen agreed.
The reverse is the crowned numeral 1 within an oak wreath, attributed by Wikipedia to Jean Baptiste Merlen in 1822, with the crown altered by Leonard Charles Wyon in 1888. The coins are sterling silver, 0.925 fine.
Collecting notes
Maundy pennies were issued as part of four-coin sets of 1d, 2d, 3d and 4d. Clayton records that the number of recipients follows the monarch's age, so supply grows as a reign goes on.
In 1971 the whole series was revalued in new pence, and Wikipedia notes the design was not changed at decimalisation. A 1970 penny is therefore the last of the pre-decimal type. The one-year 1953 BRITT OMN Maundy penny is listed separately.
No recognised varieties or mint errors are documented for this coin.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- Royal Maundy, Wikipedia (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Maundy Money, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Maundy Money, Royal Mint Museum (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Maundy Money, Coins of the UK (Tony Clayton) (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Values of Silver (Maundy) Pennies, Coins of the UK (Tony Clayton) (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Penny, Royal Mint Museum (read 10 Oct 2026)
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