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1 Penny - George V smaller portrait
| Issuer | United Kingdom |
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| Year | 1928-1936 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 9.45 g |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed effigy of King George V facing left, modelled by Edgar Bertram MacKennal, depicting the monarch with short hair and a neatly trimmed beard, the truncation of the bust falling at the lower field. The circular Latin legend runs continuously around the periphery, separated from the toothed border by a raised rim. This smaller portrait type, introduced in 1928, replaced the earlier larger effigy used from 1911. |
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| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | GEORGIVS V DEI GRA:BRITT:OMN:REX FID:DEF:IND:IMP: (Translation: George the Fifth by the Grace of God King of all the Britains Defender of the Faith Emperor of India) |
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| Additional information |
The "smaller portrait" designation marks a deliberate reduction made in 1926, when the Royal Mint modified Bertram Mackennal's effigy of George V to address chronic striking problems with the original large-head design introduced in 1911. The older portrait sat too high in relief and caused premature die wear, particularly at the King's cheek and hair. The revised, shallower effigy solved the production issue but generated enough visual distinction that collectors now treat the two types as separate series.
George V died in January 1936; pennies of this type were struck into that final year, with London remaining the sole mint for British bronze throughout this period.