Guernsey 3 pence 1959 - Guernsey Cow

The coin's story

Guernsey, a Channel Island attached to the British Crown without being part of the United Kingdom, has always struck its own money, the Guernsey pound. The threepence appeared in 1956 on a thin flan, then was struck again in 1959 on a thicker flan, the type of this coin, a last proof issue for collectors followed in 1966. Its reverse, engraved by Paul Vincze, shows the famous Guernsey cow. According to tradition, monks sent by the Duke of Normandy brought the best cattle of France to the island around 960, giving rise to this breed renowned for the richness of its milk. The obverse takes up the seal of the Bailiwick, which dates back to 1279, when King Edward I had a common seal made for Guernsey and Jersey, by 1304 each island had its own. The three leopards, surmounted by a sprig, are those of the arms of England. The coin disappeared with decimalisation in 1971.