Great Britain 10-NEW PENCE (KM912)¶
-
Reverse LION
-
Obverse Queen Elizabeth II
- Composition
- Copper-Nickel
- Country
- Great Britain
- Approx. Size
- 29mm
- Area
- Europe
- Animal Class
- Mammals
- Species
- Lion
- KM#
- 912
If you let one "Heraldic" lion into the zoo, you don't have to necessarily let them all in. If the lion is walking on its hind legs, holding stuff like sceptres in its paws, you won't find it in the zoo. But the lion on this coin is acting very lion-like (in an ideal kind of way). It just happens to have a crown stuck on its head. This fellow first appeared in 1968, and may still be on the 10-pence coin today.
Great Britain¶
- Area
- Europe
After the Romans left Great Britain, the island was pretty much overrun by assorted peoples who established assorted kingdoms, while many of the original Britons found themselves living in Scotland and Wales. It took the Danish King Canute to unite all the kingdoms in the 11th century, just in time for Duke William II of Normandy to conquer the land. The Normans used their well-practiced and clever skills to assimilate into the local population and help develop the language and culture of Great Britain. Henry VIII (1509-47) was the first king to turn his attention to the sea in a big way. This would result in Great Britain becoming a world power by the time of Elizabeth I (1558-1603). By the time the 19th century was in full-swing, Great Britain had travelled the globe building one of the biggest empires ever seen. This lasted until the 20th century, when two world wars exhausted Great Britain's resources and set the stage for independence in the colonies. Great Britain lies between latitudes 50-59°N, but is not as cold as other areas that far north because of the Gulf Stream which moderates the temperature.
