London Mint to give away £1m worth of thruppences to stop coin collecting dying out

Original George V coins date back to 1911

The London Mint is giving away £1m worth of silver thruppences to encourage more people to start coin collecting.

Before decimalisation the threepence was a staple of daily life and one of Britain’s longest-serving coins, having been in circulation since the reign of Edward VI in 1551.

The coin was used by people of all standing throughout British society and was used from the late Tudor era all the way up until the First World War.

Now the London Mint is planning to hand out 120,000 of the original George V thruppences, which date back to 1911, for free.

Daniel Penney, managing director for the London Mint Office, said the giveaway has been organised in an effort to stop coin collecting dying out and encourage families to connect.

“It has connected people from all walks of life for nearly 500 years and it’s a wonderful symbol to connect current family generations together now,” Penney said.

“Technology plays such a big role in our lives today that it’s easy to lose that physical connection with each other, so we hope the V silver threepence might inspire families to spend time together by starting their own coin collections, holding history in their hands.”

The coin is usually available to purchase for around £8.50, meaning the giveaway will be worth more than £1m in total.

History broadcaster Sir Tony Robinson has been chosen to front the campaign, which hopes to encourage younger generations to start coin collecting.

The former Blackadder star said that by taking up a hobby together can show younger and older generations they have much more in common than they first thought.

“It is important for families to find a hobby together that can create quality time,” Robinson said.

”There’s something beautiful about having a tangible item that connects us to the wider world, especially in an age where we spend most of our time connecting online.

“I love the thought that owning an original George V Silver threepence might inspire people, of all ages, to start a coin collection or dig deeper into Britain’s rich history.”

(London Mint Office)

Coin collectors hoping to get their hands on one of the free George V silver threepence coins need to complete a short form at londonmintoffice.org/ silvercoin, or call free on 08081 33 33 44.

While the coin itself is free, a £2.50 delivery charge does apply.