Guernsey 2 pence 1977 - Windmill

The coin's story

This 2 pence coin belongs to Guernsey's decimal series, introduced in 1971 when the island, along with the rest of the British Isles, abandoned the old system of the pound divided into 20 shillings of 12 pence. In 1977 the word NEW was dropped from the inscriptions: six years after the reform, decimal money was no longer a novelty, so 1977 is the first year of this type. The reverse, engraved by Paul Vincze, shows a windmill, a reminder of the island's agricultural past. The obverse keeps the seal of the Bailiwick with the three leopards, which dates back to 1279 and King Edward I. The Guernsey pound is not a separate currency but a local issue of the pound sterling, at par with it. This type was struck from 1977 to 1981, before the island's coins were renewed in 1985.