United Kingdom | |
| Value | 4d sterling |
|---|---|
| Mass | 1.9 g |
| Diameter | 16 mm |
| Thickness | 1 mm |
| Edge | Milled |
| Composition | 92.5% Ag |
| Years of minting | 1836–1855, 1888 |
| Obverse | |
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| Design | Profile of the monarch (William IV design shown) |
| Designer | William Wyon |
| Design date | 1836 |
| Reverse | |
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| Design | Britannia |
| Designer | William Wyon |
| Design date | 1836 |
The British fourpence coin, sometimes known as a groat (from Dutch grootpennig = "big penny") or fourpenny bit, was a denomination of sterling coinage worth 1/60 of one pound or 1/3 of one shilling. The coin was also known as a joey after the MP Joseph Hume, who spoke in favour of its introduction.[1][2] It was a revival of the pre-Union coin.
Before Decimal Day in 1971, sterling used the Carolingian monetary system, under which the largest unit was a pound divided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.
- ^ David L. Gold (2009). Studies in Etymology and Etiology: With Emphasis on Germanic, Jewish, Romance and Slavic Languages. Universidad de Alicante. p. 177. ISBN 978-84-7908-517-9.
- ^ C.G. Leland (1897). A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant. Рипол Классик. p. 121. ISBN 978-5-87681-228-5.