Collectors Guide
Edward VII Pennies
The Edward VII penny was issued from 1902 to 1910 and continues the classic Britannia reverse design of British bronze coinage. As one of the most recognisable denominations of the reign, the series is widely collected, with particular interest in high-grade examples. This page provides a complete reference to Edward VII pennies, including specifications, design details and collector guidance.
Introduction
There are some scarce varieties of common Penny dates in this series that are still worth looking for in Circulated grades – so don't dismiss those piles of pennies – have a closer look at some of these...
The Edward VII Penny was struck from 1902 to 1910 in bronze and is one of the most variety-rich denominations of the reign. Carrying the portrait of Edward VII by George William de Saulles on the obverse and the traditional seated Britannia reverse by Leonard Charles Wyon, the series contains several distinct obverse and reverse types, a key tidal variety in the first year, and some of the most intriguing die varieties in the whole of Edwardian coinage. This page provides an overview of the Edward VII Penny series, including all recorded varieties, tidal differences, and year-by-year reference images.
The sea level on the Britannia reverse — the height of the water relative to the exergue line — is one of the most important diagnostic features of the bronze coinage around the turn of the century. The Low Tide reverse dies carried over from the late Victorian series were used briefly in 1902, producing the well-known 1902 Low Tide penny. This was not the only tidal transition in the period, however, and the full picture of sea-level changes across the 1895–1910 bronze coinage repays careful study.
Coinage Details
1902 — High Tide and Low Tide — The first Edward VII pennies used both the new High Tide reverse and the inherited Low Tide Victorian reverse dies. The Low Tide version is the readily identifiable variety, with a noticeably lower sea level on the Britannia reverse.
1903 — Open 3 — The 1903 penny exists in two forms: the standard closed 3 in the date, and the scarcer Open 3, where the digit has a noticeably wider aperture. Both are identifiable from circulated examples with care.
1905 — Reverses B and C — Two reverses are recorded for 1905, distinguished by the relative parallelism of the letters P and E in PENNY, the length of the tail on the 9 in the date, and the rim thickness.
1908 — Three obverses, two reverses — The most complex date in the series. Three obverses are recorded, of which Obverse 1* is rare and commands a three-figure sum even in worn condition. Matched with two reverses, four die combinations are recorded in total. Identifying Obverse 1* is the primary task when examining an 1908 penny.
1909 — Reverse E — A tiny number of 1909 pennies were struck with the later Reverse E that became standard in 1910. V.R. Court estimated these at around 0.1% of production — itself considered an overestimate. The 1909 Reverse E penny is extremely rare.
Edward VII Pennies
1902
1902 Low Tide
1903
1903 Open 3
1904
1905 Rev B
1905 Rev C
1906
1907
1908 1+C
1908 2+C
1908 2+D
1909 Rev D
1909 Rev E
1910
Specifications
| Years Issued | 1902–1910 |
| Diameter | 30.8 mm |
| Weight | 9.45 g |
| Edge | Plain |
| Alloy | Bronze |
| Obverse Designer | George William de Saulles |
| Reverse Designer | Leonard Charles Wyon |
Year-by-Year Reference
1902 Penny
| 1902 Penny – High Tide |
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| Obverse | Reverse |
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| 1902 Penny – Low Tide |
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| Obverse | Reverse |
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The 1902 Low Tide penny is a well-known variety, but the tide changes around the turn of the century are not only found in 1902, and do not only affect the Penny.
All three main bronze denominations are involved, and there are five different sea levels to note, ranging from the very low, at 2.75mm above the exergue line in 1895, to very high, 4.75mm above the exergue line from 1908. There are significant differences in scarcity in several dates in the range, so watching the tide levels is worth doing.
The coins to be aware of that display tidal differences are:
- 1895 penny
- 1897 penny, halfpenny, and farthing
- 1902 penny and halfpenny
The 1895 Penny has a low tide and a high tide variety, with the Low Tide being very much scarcer. Freeman rates the Low Tide as R8, against the High Tide's R2. The scarce type is easy to identify, as the P of PENNY is 2mm from the trident, instead of 1mm on the commoner type. This seemingly small difference shows very clearly on the coin.
1897 is a fascinating year for tidal changes, as the sea level rises again, briefly, but each denomination needs to be treated quite separately. On the Penny, the High Tide, at 4.15mm above the exergue line, is a genuinely difficult coin in any grade, rated as R9 against C2, which is a huge difference. The halfpennies of 1897 are the other way around – the Low Tide is the scarcer type, but the difference is not to the same extent as the penny. Freeman rates this pair as R2 versus C2 – notable, but finding a Low Tide 1897 halfpenny is not quite as exciting as finding a High Tide 1897 penny would be. In the case of the farthing, the low tide is once again the more difficult of the pair, R3 against N, according to Mr. Freeman.
Intriguingly, in 1898, the High Tide experiment is abandoned, and the Low Tide dies become standard again until the end of the reign in 1901. This is where we meet the well-known Low Tide variants of the 1902 penny and halfpenny, as the reverse dies from Victoria are used for a short time in the first year’s issue of Edward VII pennies and halfpennies.
A 1902 Low Tide halfpenny is considerably more interesting than the equivalent Penny of the same year. It seems that the variety was less well known, so less often rescued from circulation, and high grade examples are ever so tricky to find.
Although the Higher tide is adopted for the farthing immediately in 1902, the 1903 Farthing uses the Low Tide Victoria reverse dies for a single year, before reverting to High Tide the following year.
One final adjustment takes place during the changes to the Penny in 1908 – the three scarcer types of 1908 penny use the old design, with the sea level at 4.40mm above the exergue line, while on the commoner Reverse D, the measurement rises to an all-time high of 4.75mm. This configuration then continues right up until the major redesign of the penny reverse for Edward VIII in 1936.
As with most varieties, there are many other changes made to the designs and I have only selected Tide levels as a diagnostic feature.
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1903 Penny
| 1903 Penny – Normal 3 |
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| Obverse | Reverse |
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Normal 3
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Open 3
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| 1903 Penny – Scarce Open 3 |
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1904 Penny
| 1904 Penny |
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| Obverse | Reverse |
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1905 Penny
| 1905 Penny – Reverse B | |
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| Obverse | Reverse |
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| 1905 Penny – Reverse C | |
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| Obverse | Reverse |
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1906 Penny
| 1906 Penny |
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| Obverse | Reverse |
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1907 Penny
| 1907 Penny |
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| Obverse | Reverse |
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1908 Penny
There are three obverses, one scarce, one downright rare, and one common, matched with two reverses making a total of 4 different types. Start by identifying which Obverse you have. If it's Obverse 1 or Obverse 1*, you won't need to move on the Reverse. If you have Obverse 2, then you need to decide whether it's matched with Reverse C, or Reverse D. The exciting variety to look for is Obverse 1*. Even worn examples will generally realise a three-figure sum...
| 1908 Penny – 1+C |
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| Obverse | Reverse |
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| 1908 Penny – 2+C |
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| Obverse | Reverse |
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| 1908 Penny – 2+D |
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| Obverse | Reverse |
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1909 Penny
A tiny number of 1909 pennies were issued with the later Reverse E, as is found on all 1910 pennies. V.R.Court estimated 0.1%, but even that is an overestimation. Reverse E 1909 pennies are Extremely Rare.
| 1909 Reverse varieties |
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| Reverse D | Reverse E |
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| 1 of date points between beads | 1 of date points at a bead |
| 1909 Penny |
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| Obverse | Reverse |
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1910 Penny
| 1910 Penny |
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| Obverse | Reverse |
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