Elite: fewer than 10,000 minted.
1 Penny - George V 2nd Maundy issue (1921–1927)
"Maundy penny"
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1921–1927 |
| Denomination | 1 Penny |
| Mintage | 1,847 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Series | Maundy Money |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Silver (.500) (500/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 0.470g · 0.0076 t oz |
| Diameter | 11.0mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
| Obv. artist | Bertram Mackennal |
| Rev. artist | Jean Baptiste Merlen |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Uncrowned portrait of King George V left, legend around.
Crowned denomination dividing date within oak wreath.
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Daily limit reachedAbout the 1921 1 Penny - George V 2nd Maundy issue
The 1921 1 Penny - George V 2nd Maundy issue is a collector 1 penny coin issued from 1921 to 1927 in the Maundy Money series, struck in 50% silver. It weighs 0.47g and measures 11mm across. Reverse design: Crowned denomination dividing date within oak wreath.
A mintage of 1,847 is recorded for one date of this type; figures for each year are not held.
Common questions
How much is the 1921 1 Penny - George V 2nd Maundy issue worth?
No verified sale of the 1921 1 Penny - George V 2nd Maundy issue has been logged on MyCoinage yet.
Why is the 1921 Maundy penny only half silver?
Because all British silver coins were reduced from sterling (.925) to .500 fineness, and Wikipedia records that the Maundy pieces followed in 1921. They stayed at .500 until 1947, when the circulating coins became cupro-nickel and Maundy money was returned to sterling silver.
How many 1921 to 1927 Maundy pennies were made?
Coinstrail's catalogue gives 12,781 over the seven dates, from 1,619 in 1924 to 2,180 in 1926. The site's own yearly figures match these exactly. They reflect the size of the Maundy distribution, not demand for circulating coin.
How is this Maundy penny different from the 1911 to 1920 one?
The design is the same: Mackennal's portrait and the crowned figure 1 in an oak wreath. The difference is the metal, .500 silver instead of sterling. Tony Clayton's catalogue starts a new type in 1928 with a modified effigy, which is why this issue ends in 1927.
Is a 1920s Maundy penny legal tender?
Technically yes. Maundy coins remain legal tender, and at decimalisation in 1971 their face values were changed from old to new pence, according to the Royal Mint Museum. This penny is therefore worth 1p as money, though it does not circulate.
How do I identify the 1921 1 Penny - George V 2nd Maundy issue?
Check the weight 0.47g and diameter 11mm and the metal (50% silver) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
The Maundy penny is the smallest of the four silver coins the sovereign gives at the Royal Maundy on the day before Good Friday. The Royal Mint Museum explains that the white purse holds Maundy coins totalling as many pence as the monarch's age, and that there are as many men and as many women recipients.
This second George V Maundy penny marks the change of metal. Wikipedia records that, in common with all British silver coins, the Maundy pieces were reduced from sterling to .500 silver in 1921, and Tony Clayton's catalogue begins a new type in that year. The design did not change.
Coinstrail's catalogue gives between 1,619 (1924) and 2,180 (1926) pennies a year, 12,781 across the seven dates. Since 1909 Maundy sets had been reserved for recipients and those taking part in the ceremony, so all dates are small issues.
The obverse is Bertram Mackennal's bare head of George V facing left, the portrait the Royal Mint credits on its George V Maundy set pages. The reverse is the crowned figure 1 within an oak wreath, with the date. Wikipedia attributes the wreathed design to Jean Baptiste Merlen in 1822, with the crown revised by Leonard Charles Wyon in 1888. The edge is plain.
Collecting notes
These pennies look the same as the sterling issues of 1911 to 1920, so the date is the only guide to the lower silver standard. Clayton notes that Maundy coins after 1820 are seldom found below very fine, since they were not spent. A complete run of seven dates is possible, though small mintages keep supply limited. No recognised varieties or mint errors are documented for this type.
Clayton's catalogue changes type again in 1928, when a modified effigy was introduced, and Wikipedia records that George V personally distributed the Maundy in 1932, the only time in his reign. The sterling silver Maundy penny of 1911 to 1920 preceded this issue and the third Maundy issue followed it.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- 1925 George V Maundy Set, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Maundy money, Wikipedia (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Maundy money, Royal Mint Museum (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Penny of George V, silver coins (list and 1921 entry), Coinstrail (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Maundy Money, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Values of Coins of the UK, Maundy Sets, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 10 Oct 2026)
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