Ok, we got this coin in the register here in Kansas. I know it’s from somewhere in the UK because on one side there’s a picture of the Queen.
It’ says Elizabeth II…D.G.REG.F.D. 1990 (Deo Gratia Regina something 1990)
The coin is silver colored, just a little smaller than an American dime.
On the opposite side, at the top, it says FIVE PENCE, with a number 5 at the bottom. In the center of the coin a small crown surmounts what looks like a thistle with some leaves arcing up on either side.
So, it’s a small coin, but no country name can I find. Dopers are smart people, here’s hoping you can help.
The “F.D.” stands for “fidei defensor” - “Defender of the Faith”, a title given by the Pope to Henry VIII, ironically, and which all of his successors have hung onto over the part 5 centuries, Reformation bedamned.
Oh, and a coin is not automatically from the UK just because Her Majesty is on it. She appears on the coinage of a lot of Commonwealth realms, such as Canada.
The old shilling (12d, or 1/-) became the new 5p coin. Beginning with George VI’s reign and continuing on into Elizabeth II’s, there were shillings/5p coins issued with “Englsh” and “Scottish” reverses, the latter ostensibly in honor of the Scottish heritage of the late Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother), though I believe also throwing a small gesture of inclusiveness at Scotland and Scottish national pride as well. I’m unsure if the double issue has continued to the present, but I do know it was kept in place for at least a while after decimalization.
From the description, and not having seen the actual coin, I’d hazard a guess this might be one of those coins.
ETA: It’s a UK coin, not a Scottish one – just that the design includes Scottish elements for the reasons given above.
The shillings were kept in circulation until the 5p coin was made smaller in the 90s, but the 5p coins released in 1968 had a single Scotland-themed design. (The three original coins with pre-decimal equivalents were all put into circulation ahead of decimalisation.)
Ignoring Huge Laurie, who probably was friends with Enormous Norman, let me stress again that “Emgland” and “Scotland” have not had their own coinage since at least 1800, and probably not in the 18th century as well (but on that I won’t speak with authority), any more than “Texas” or “Missouri” have issued their own coins. The U.K. is the country with the mint; while there are a couple of Scottish banks that can like the Bank of England issue bank notes, coinage is the product of the unified country, not of any of its constituent nations. As noted, the shilling (and apparently the pound coin as well) had variant designs including Scottish emblems pn one variety for a period. But that is no different than the recent issue of ‘state’ quarters where designs emblematic of each state in sequence were emitted by the U.S. mint.
Actually, a coin isn’t automatically from one of the Commonwealth countries just because the British monarch is on it. The Isle of Man, for example, is not a member of the Commonwealth, but Queen Elizabeth is on all the circulating coinage. Even some countries which have no historical connection to the UK at all have featured her on commemorative coins.
5p coins only show the Scottish crowned thistle now (officially the ‘Badge of Scotland’). The 2p coin shows the Prince of Wales’ feathers and the 20p the Tudor rose, emblematic of England. The other coins all show some kind of British heraldry (portcullis, lion, Britannia). The design of the £1 coin changes frequently to reflect events on given years of issue.
Three Scottish (Royal Bank of Scotland, Bank of Scotland, and Clydesdale Bank), and four Northern Irish (Bank of Ireland, First Trust Bank, Northern Bank and Ulster Bank) banks issue Sterling-denominated notes.
Parliament named Henry fidei defensor on its own authority after his excommunication, as defender of the Anglican faith. So technically they are not hanging on to a title bestowed by the Pope.
