old British coins- still good?

Ignoring commemoratives etc, the following are still legal tender: 1p, 2p - all (1971-) 5p - small size (1990-) 10p - small size (1992-) 20p - all (1982-) 50p - small size (1997-) £1 - all (1985-)
£2 - all (1997-)

How old? Whose likeness? Half pennies and farthings won't go very far anymore, if that was the question.

Just depends on the age of the coins. We have some from prior to the change over. I think we goggled British coins or something close to that and found that they have a very limited collector's value in the US. Maybe a dollar or two per coin. And, I vaguely remember that one of the British banks will take the coins if they are the old coins. But will not swear to that today.

There are numerous coins of numerous values, denominations and years. i am wondering if there is a place where I can find out what is still in circulation.

Let's try again for simplicity. When were these previous trip? Whose mug is on the coins?

YES, goggle it !!!!! Start here
http://coins.about.com/od/worldcoins/ig/World-Coins-Gallery-Index/British-Money---Coins.htm

I don't think British currency has changed since they adopted decimalization over 40 years ago.

That's where I was trying to get her to go. Farthings were around when I was a kid, and the last half penny I remember was the mid-eighties.

When the British went from 240 Pence to 100 New Pence to the Pound Sterling, the Shilling, which had been 12 Pence or 1/20 of a Pound, was retained, becoming 5 New Pence. I have British coins from around 1990. I have earlier coins that say One Shilling and were being used alongside new Shillings that said 5 (New) Pence. All old coins smaller than the Shilling (6 Pence or Half Schilling, Pence, Half Pence) had been taken out of circulation by then. I understand that the 1990 Shilling, which were roughly the size of our Half Dollar, were replaced with a smaller coin (same value), so I expect that the large Shilling is no longer in circulation.

I was in England in 1969. They were still using the old system. I never did understand the monetary value of the shilling, but costs were expressed in pounds, shillings, and pence. The decimal system is much easier to handle.

Anything before decimalisation in the early 1970s will be completely out of date. Post-decimalisation, half-pence coins are no longer accepted. The size of the 50p, 20p, 10p and 5p coins was reduced in the early 90s and the larger older ones are no longer accepted.

If any of them say "Canute" on them, send them to me. You could turn them face down on your scanner, scan, send with an email to either a British bank or coin shop and ask them.

I was just there in June and it looks like they have newly designed coins when all put together make a coat of arms. However, I don't think any demoninations changed. It was similar to what was done to the back of our pennies and some other coins recently.

Yes, Marco's post is very helpful. Don;t want to lug over change that no one will accept. Thank you very much. now i just have to weed through all those coins. Yuck!

I have coins (bought at a flea market) that are pre-Elizabeth, (I believe George VI?). As far as I know they are no longer legal tender but I bought them for my coin collection. Maybe they can be traded in, but that opportunity may have expired years ago.

I have coins (bought at a flea market) that are pre-Elizabeth, (I believe George VI?). As far as I know they are no longer legal tender but I bought them for my coin collection. Maybe they can be traded in, but that opportunity may have expired years ago.

Pre decimal bronze coins are worth about 10 times their face value in scrap copper. Pre 1947 silver coins are worth roughly 40 times their face value in scrap (50% silver). Some banks still accept in coins at face value, which is of most use for 1947- silver which is better than their scrap value. All Bank of England notes right back to 1694 are still worth their face value if exchanged at the Bank, although many would have collector value far in excess of this.

All coins have a date on them. If they are dated after 1970 they are "new" and are perfectly useable. If the pennies are dated prior to that and are large - bigger than any NA coins - they are probably worth more than their face value. Same is true of threepenny bits, halfpennies and farthings. Other coins will be interchangeable.