Coins of the Bailiwick of Jersey–Part 2

King Edward VIII, who reigned for only 326 days in 1936, is best known for his abdication to marry Wallis Simpson, a divorced American, which caused a constitutional crisis in the British monarchy.

No coins with King Edward VIII’s likeness were ever released into circulation in the UK or dependencies like Jersey, as he abdicated before production could begin. However, pattern coins were produced as proofs and trials. These are now extremely rare and highly valuable, with many kept in official collections like the Royal Mint Museum.

Following the abdication of Edward VIII, King George VI began his reign in 1936 until his death in 1952. King George VI was also the last Emperor of India from 1936 until the British Raj was dissolved in 1947. He was the first Head of the Commonwealth following the London Declaration of 1949.

During George VI’s reign, a tribute coronation issue and a limited number of standard coins for Jersey were minted. They are the Coronation Medal, 1/24 shilling, 1/12 shilling, and 1/12 shilling (Liberation).

The King George VI Coronation Medal was a commemorative issue to celebrate the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Until 1977, the practice was that authorities decided on a total number to be produced, with a proportion sent to Commonwealth countries, possessions, and Crown dependencies.

The obverse displays the crowned portraits of George VI and Queen Elizabeth, with Latin lettering reading, “KING GEORGE VI & QUEEN ELIZABETH.” The reverse shows a crowned cipher of George VI with the coat of arms below that is wrapped around oak and laurel leaves. The lettering reads: “G VI R TO COMMEMORATE THE CORONATION MAY 1937 JERSEY.”

The coin was pierced at the top so that a device or attachment mechanism could be used to affix the medal for wear. The award of the medal was at the discretion of the Jersey government authority, which was free to decide who would be awarded a medal and why.

The 1/24 shilling was minted in 1937 with a mintage of 72,000. The obverse displays George VI’s crowned head left, and the reverse shows a shield dividing the date. The 1/24 shilling was minted for Jersey in 1946 and 1947; the Jersey 1/12 shilling, with the same design, was minted in 1937, 1946, and 1947.

In 1949, a 1/12 shilling dated 1945 was minted for the anniversary of the Liberation of the Island on May 8, 1945, from the German Occupation, with 1 million bronze coins minted. Coins were also minted in 1950 and 1952.

George VI 1/12 shilling. KM18. Courtesy NumisMaster.

During World War II, the British Chiefs of Staff concluded that the Channel Islands, divided into two crown dependencies—the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey—could not be defended and recommended their demilitarization as soon as their aerodromes were no longer required for the evacuations from France.

England’s decision not to defend the Channel Islands left them open to German occupation. On June 30–July 1, 1940, German troops landed on Guernsey and Jersey. From the onset of the occupation, Jersey continued to use British currency; however, it gradually ran out as people hoarded the currency, and German soldiers kept silver coins as souvenirs.

1941-1942 German Occupation Jersey 1 pound. Courtesy Katz Auction.

The situation became so acute that Jersey’s Finance and Economics Committee decided to print its own paper money, the first government-issued bills in nearly 75 years. In late 1942, a prominent local artist named Edmund Blampied was asked to design bank notes for the States of Jersey in denominations of 6 pence (6d), 1 shilling, 2 shillings, 10 shillings, and 1 pound. These various notes were issued between 1942 and 1945, and a second 2-shilling note, not designed by Blampied, was also used.

The 6d note by Blampied was designed in such a way that the word “six” on the reverse incorporated an outsized “X” so that when the note was folded, the result was the resistance symbol “V” for victory.

The obverse shows brown and blue underprint with arms at top left and two people in underprint. The reverse in brown displays a man and woman chatting in traditional Jersey hats, designed to evoke the “careless talk costs lives” posters of the era as a subtle form of local resistance, with the lettering above 1 shilling reading, “Promise to pay the Bearer on Demand the sum of One Shilling.” The bank note was printed by the Royal Mint, London.

The German occupation of the Channel Islands lasted from June 1940 until May 1945, the only part of the British Isles occupied by the Nazis during World War II.

When King George VI died in February 1952, Elizabeth became queen of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon.

Queen Elizabeth II first appeared on Jersey coins in 1954. The portrait used was the one by the sculptor and medalist Mary Gillick that was first used on UK coins in 1953. With the beginning of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, the standard coinage system minted for Jersey was still the monetary system in place in the UK. Coins minted for Jersey beginning in 1974 were under the Decimal Coinage system.

Elizabeth II 1998-2016 2 pence. KM104. Courtesy NumisMaster.

The 1/12 shilling with the first portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was initially minted in 1954. It had a mintage of 720,000. The coin was also minted in 1957, 1960, 1964, and 1966.

The 1964 1/12 shilling was the first coin minted with the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. It had a mintage of 1,200,000. The obverse has the queen’s crowned portrait right, engraved by Cecil Thomas, and the lettering reads: “QUEEN ELIZABETH THE SECOND.” The reverse displays the coat of arms of Jersey with a shield with three lions passant guardant. Their heads face the viewer, arranged one above the other.

The placement of the shield is positioned above the written value of the coin and divides the date “1964.” The lettering reads, “BAILIWICK OF JERSEY 1964 ONE-TWELFTH-OF-A-SHILLING.” The engraver is George Kruger Gray, and the coin was struck at the Royal Mint.

In addition to the 1/12 shilling, the only other standard coinage minted with the Queen’s image is the 1966 5 shilling, which displays Queen Elizabeth II’s crowned head. Like the 1/12 shilling, the shield divides the dates. The subject of the coin was the Norman Conquest, and the mintage was 300,000.

On March 1, 1966, the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer James Callaghan announced that the centuries-old £sd system would be replaced by the decimal currency, dividing the pound into 100 units. It was enacted in 1971 after a five-year preparatory period.

Following the UK, Jersey decimalized its coinage into a system where the pound is divided into 100 pence (p). The new coins were identical in size, shape, and composition to their British equivalents.

The coins included denominations of ½ new penny, 1 new penny, 2 new pence, 5 new pence, 5 pence, 10 new pence, 10 pence, 20 pence, 25 pence, 50 new pence, 50 pence, 1 pound, Sovereign, 2 pounds, 5 pounds, 10 pounds, 20 pounds, 25 pounds, 50 pounds, and 100 pounds.

Coins were struck in either bronze, copper-nickel, copper-plated steel, or nickel brass. Many were also struck in silver, gold, and platinum for collectors.

Elizabeth II 1990 The Battle of Britain 50th Anniversary 2 pounds. KM77. Courtesy NumisMaster.

The ½ new penny was first minted in 1971. High inflation in the late 1970s quickly eroded its value. The coin was also minted in 1980 and 1981. By 1984, the purchasing power had become so small that it was not economical to produce, and it was withdrawn from circulation in December of that year.

Another problem existed. The coin was just 17mm in diameter, making it the smallest decimal coin by both size and value. Many people found it difficult to handle; some complained that it would often get lost.

In 1977, the 25 pence, a commemorative issue minted for Jersey on the 25th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II, engraved by Arnold Machin, was minted. The obverse portrays a second crowned portrait of the Queen facing right, wearing the Girls of Great Britain tiara. The lettering reads, “QUEEN ELIZABETH THE SECOND 1952–1977.” The reverse depicts a waterside view. In the foreground, sailboats are moored in Gorey Harbor with Mont Orgueil Castle on a hill in the background.

The mintage of the 25 pence copper-nickel was 262,000. A proof of the coin was also available in 0.9250 silver, with a mintage of 25,000.

The first pound coin minted for distribution in Jersey was the 1972 1 pound with a mintage of 24,000. It commemorated the 25th anniversary of the wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. The obverse displays a young bust right; the reverse shows lilies.

Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, with Charles becoming king. Jersey’s Treasury has stated that a transition to King Charles III coins and bank notes will be a gradual process, as existing currency featuring Queen Elizabeth II remains in legal tender.

As of late 2025, Jersey has not issued coins with the image of King Charles III. However, it has released several commemorative non-circulating coins featuring the king. It is expected that the number of commemorative issues may increase over time.

Commemorative coins issued for Jersey are generally not intended for circulation, unlike standard UK currency. Notable Commemorative Coronation Proof coins include the 1 penny and 5 pounds coins.
The 1 penny commemorative of King Charles III’s coronation was struck in .9167 gold (22ct). Only 250 of the gold 1 penny Charles III coronation proof coins were struck by the Royal Mint in 2023 for Jersey. Additionally, a further 50 coins were designated as “first strike” editions within this limited mintage.

The obverse of the commemorative has the effigy of King Charles III facing to the left, engraved by Glyn Davies. The lettering reads, CHARLES III BALIWICK OF JERSEY 2023. The reverse, engraved by Adam Taylor, displays the King’s monogram, crown above, and denomination below. The lettering reads, “CIII, ONE PENNY.”

Since Jersey was annexed to England in 1206, the Bailiwick has had an interesting history as a British Dependency. From a numismatic perspective, the coinage of Jersey from Queen Victoria beginning in 1841 to King Charles III today is a fascinating study. For a coin collector, it is a most absorbing subject worth exploring.

Read part one for the rest of the story:

Coins of the Bailiwick of Jersey–Part 1