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General about the british pre-decimel penny coins
The pre-decimal penny (1d) was a coin worth 1/240 of a pound sterling. Its symbol was d, from the Roman denarius. It was a continuation of the earlier English penny, and in Scotland it had the same monetary value as one pre-1707 Scottish shilling. The penny was originally minted in silver, but from the late 18th century it was minted in copper, and then after 1860 in bronze.

The plural of "penny" is "pence" when referring to a amount of money, and "pennies" when referring to a number of coins.[1] Thus 8d is eight pence, but "eight pennies" means specifically eight individual penny coins.

Before Decimal Day in 1971 twelve pence made a shilling, and twenty shillings made a pound, hence 240 pence in one pound. Values less than a pound were usually written in terms of shillings and pence, e.g. 42 pence would be three shillings and sixpence (3/6), pronounced "three and six" or “three and sixpence”. Values of less than a shilling were simply written in terms of pence, e.g. eight pence would be 8d, and conventionally written out as one word, “fourpence”, “sixpence”, etc.

This version of the penny was made obsolete in 1971 by decimalisation, and was replaced by the decimal penny, worth 2.4 old pence. Pennies were rarely minted during the early reign of Elizabeth II, but those minted for the coronation in 1953 feature the inscription ELIZABETH II DEI GRA BRITT OMN REGINA F D. Regular minting of pennies was resumed in 1961. Pennies minted after this date bear the inscription ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA F D.

Fact sheet

Type of information	specific information
Country	Great Britain
Value	One Penny
Year	1962
Currency	Pound Sterling (pre-decimal)
Effigy	Queen Elizabeth II - First Portrait, by Mary Gillick
Age	Queen Elizabeth II (1953 - 1967)
Coin type	circulation coins
Ruler	Elizabeth II.
Material	Bronze
Weight	9.45 g
Diameter	30.8 mm
Thickness	1.6 mm
Edge	Smooth
Form	Round
Alignment	Medal orientation (0°)
Issue limit:	137.6 million
Designer:	Leonard Charles Wyon

Observe

• Laureate bust of Queen Elizabeth II facing right (effigy by Mary Gillick known as the "First portrait")
• The monarch's legend ELIZABETH · II · DEI · GRATIA · REGINA · F : D : + (Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith) runs continuously all around the bust.

Reverse

• Figure of Britannia seated facing right on a rock wearing a helmet and flowing robes
• she holds a trident and rests her right hand on a shield which bears the combined crosses of the Union Flag
• in the background at left, a lighthouse; around, the denomination ONE PENNY
• in exergue, the date 1962.