Legendary: fewer than 100 minted.
4 Pence - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal 2nd issue (1954–1970)
"Maundy groat"
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Year | 1954–1970 |
| Denomination | 4 Pence |
| Mintage | 1,050 |
| Mint | Royal Mint · Llantrisant |
| Series | Maundy Money |
| Circulation | Non-circulating |
| Composition | Silver (.925) (925/1000 fine) |
| Weight | 1.890g · 0.0562 t oz |
| Diameter | 18.0mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
| Obv. artist | Mary Gillick |
| Grade scale | UK (EF/UNC) |
Young laureate bust of Queen Elizabeth II right, legend around.
Crowned denomination dividing date within oak wreath.
Find this on eBay
Affiliate2nd issue 4 Pence price history
Daily limit reachedAbout the 1954 4 Pence - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal – 2nd issue
The 1954 4 Pence - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal – 2nd issue is a collector 4 pence coin issued from 1954 to 1970 in the Maundy Money series, struck in 92.5% silver. It weighs 1.89g and measures 18mm across. Reverse design: Crowned denomination dividing date within oak wreath.
A mintage of 1,050 is recorded for one date of this type; figures for each year are not held.
Common questions
How much is the 1954 4 Pence - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal – 2nd issue worth?
No verified sale of the 1954 4 Pence - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal – 2nd issue has been logged on MyCoinage yet. Its silver content is worth about £2.25 at today's spot price, which puts a floor under its value.
What is a Maundy fourpence?
It is the largest of the four small silver coins the monarch gives to elderly recipients at the Royal Maundy service on the Thursday before Easter. Recipients receive as many pence in Maundy coins as the sovereign has years, according to the Royal Mint Museum.
What is the difference between the 1953 and later Maundy fourpence?
The legend. Coins of the UK notes that the Maundy portrait of Elizabeth II never changed, and the only obverse change was the dropping of BRITT OMN after 1953. Coins dated 1954 to 1970 carry the shorter title.
Is a pre-decimal Maundy fourpence legal tender?
Yes, technically. Wikipedia notes that Maundy coins are legal tender and that pieces dated before Decimal Day are by law treated as new pence, so a 1960s fourpence counts as 4p. They are not used in shops because of their silver content and collector interest.
What metal is the Maundy fourpence?
Sterling silver, .925 fine. Wikipedia and Coins of the UK record that when the circulating silver coins switched to cupro-nickel in 1947, the Maundy coins went back to sterling silver rather than being struck in base metal.
How do I identify the 1954 4 Pence - Elizabeth II Maundy pre-decimal – 2nd issue?
Check the weight 1.89g and diameter 18mm and the metal (92.5% silver) against the specification table on this page. The reverse design is described above.
History and design
Maundy money is the small silver coinage the monarch distributes at the Royal Maundy service on Maundy Thursday. The Royal Mint Museum explains that each year as many elderly men and as many elderly women as there are years in the sovereign's age receive, in a white purse, silver Maundy coins totalling the same number of pence. A set is a penny, twopence, threepence and this fourpence.
Elizabeth II's Maundy coins began with a 1953 issue whose legend includes BRITT OMN. The Royal Mint records that the words were omitted from the Queen's titles owing to the changing status of many Commonwealth territories, and Coins of the UK notes that this was the only obverse change to her Maundy coinage. This entry covers the second issue, dated 1954 to 1970, before the coins were revalued as new pence in 1971.
The ceremony itself changed in this period. Wikipedia records that in 1957 the service left London for the first time in over two centuries, at St Albans, and recipients were from then on chosen for one year only.
The obverse is Mary Gillick's portrait of the Queen wearing a laurel wreath. The Royal Mint Museum notes that her Maundy coins kept this first portrait throughout her reign, long after other coins had moved on.
The reverse is the traditional crowned numeral 4 within a wreath with the date. Wikipedia traces the crowned-numeral design to the reign of William and Mary and says it has been virtually unaltered since 1822. When circulating silver gave way to cupro-nickel in 1947, the Maundy coins returned to sterling .925 silver.
Collecting notes
Maundy coins are made in small numbers: Wikipedia puts most years at fewer than 2,000 complete sets. Coins of the UK notes that sets can be found in contemporary boxes, and a single fourpence is one quarter of such a set.
Check the legend for BRITT OMN; if present, the coin is the 1953 first issue, which Coins of the UK notes is in very great demand. Because Maundy coins were never meant for change, Coins of the UK observes that they rarely turn up in worse than very fine condition, so wear is the exception rather than the rule.
These pieces remain technically legal tender, and Wikipedia notes that pre-1971 Maundy coins are deemed new pence by law.
Sources
The history, design, varieties and collecting notes on this page are drawn from these sources. Prices come from recorded sales, not from them.
- Maundy Money, Royal Mint Museum (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Royal Maundy, Wikipedia (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Maundy Coins, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 10 Oct 2026)
- The Four Pence or Groat, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 10 Oct 2026)
- The First Coins Struck for Elizabeth II, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
- 1957 Queen Elizabeth II Gold Sovereign, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Legal Tender Guidelines, The Royal Mint (read 10 Oct 2026)
- Values of Coins of the UK: Maundy Sets, Tony Clayton, Coins of the UK (read 10 Oct 2026)
More from Maundy Money
