Mint Marks

On a number of occasions during the late 1800’s and again in the 1910’s the Royal Mint outsourced the minting of various denominations of coins. A few different companies were used but not all coins contained a mark. 1860 pennies for instance did not show a mark.

Where a mint marks was present, it will be one of the following:

• H – Ralph Heaton & Sons, Birmingham
• KN – Kings Norton Metal Company, Birmingham

For those looking for mint marks, these would either be below the date or to the left of the date in the exergue.

From a collecting point of view, coins minted at the two companies noted above tend to be rarer for some years but for other years, some denominations were only minted by one of these companies.

Specifically looking at 1919, the Royal Mint produced 113,761,000 coins whereas Heaton produced 4,526,000 coins and Kings Norton a measly 683,600 coins. A 1919 KN in a fair condition can go for a couple of quid on the well-known auction site.

Known years and mintages where an external company minted coins (see Collectors Coins of Great Britain for further information):

Farthings:

• 1874 H 3,584,000
• 1875 H ?
• 1876 H 1,175,200
• 1881 H 1,792,000
• 1882 H 1,790,000

Half Pennies:

• 1874 H 5,017,600
• 1875 H 1,254,400
• 1876 H 6,809,600
• 1881 H 1,792,000
• 1882 H 4,480000

Pennies:

• 1874 H 6,666,240
• 1875 H 752,640
• 1876 H 11,074,560
• 1881 H 3,763,200
• 1882 H 7,526,400
• 1912 H 16,800,000
• 1918 H 3,660,800
• 1918 KN ?
• 1919 H 4,526,000
• 1919 KN 683,600