The Life and Times of Victoria-Ann Penny

By Gordon S. Dickson

This is a memoir of Victoria-Ann Penny and, as you may have guessed, she is a Victorian penny. This is her story, as best she can remember it. She is well over a 100 years old so her memory might be just a little bit hazy.
Born towards the end of Queen Victoria’s reign Miss Penny recounts various historical events in the 20th century including world wars and the first moon landing.
She also travelled around various countries and the British Isles with her ‘owners’ and gives her impressions of the things she saw. 
Reader, I do hope you enjoy her escapades.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Oct 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9781528995139

Gordon S. Dickson

Gordon S. Dickson was born near Inverness, Scotland, but left there soon after when the family returned to Northern Ireland, where he still resides. He was educated at Secondary and Grammar schools, and scraped through English ‘O’ level, as essay writing was not a strong point. He was employed in the Civil Service for a number of years and is now retired. He has only recently taken up writing. He enjoys reading, gardening, watching football, and occasional visits to the cinema.

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Dedication

For all children who love reading and learning.

Copyright Information ©

Gordon S. Dickson 2022

The right of Gordon S. Dickson to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781528995122 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781528995139 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2022

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

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E14 5AA

Chapter 1

Hello Reader, I am so pleased to meet you. As people used to say when I was born: ‘How do you do?’ That is a bit old-fashioned now.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Victoria-Ann Penny and, as you may have guessed, I am a Victorian penny. This is my story, as best I can remember it. I am well over one hundred years old, don’t forget, so my memory might be just a little bit hazy.

I was born or minted – nothing to do with mint humbug sweets by the way – in London in a place called The Royal Mint, London, in the year of our Lord, 1897, near the end of the reign of Queen Victoria. I am sure you have heard of her. On my front is a picture of Queen Victoria, after whom I and my many, many sisters and brothers are named. The boys are called Victor Penny, of course.

She, the queen, was getting old at that time, and very stern-looking! She ruled over a large area of the world known as the British Empire, for about sixty-three years, so she must have been very tired. Oh, and I believe she had nine children! Just as well they lived in a palace with all that lot! How many brothers and sisters do you have, Reader?

On my back is written the year I was born, 1897, as I have said, and a picture of a lady called Britannia. She represents the British Isles, a sort of symbolic figure. She is very fierce looking as she has a shield and trident, a big spear thing with three points, to chase off our enemies! She still appears on some fifty-pence coins today. Check your change to find her.

Anyway, let’s get on with my story. When I was minted, I was a bright shiny copper colour, which is why folk, humans like you Reader, used to call us coppers. I looked really beautiful, I thought.

There were literally thousands – not that I can count having never been to school – of us minted that year; well every year, I suppose. Of course, the year on our backs changed too, the same as on money today. I am a lot, lot bigger in size than the tiny, fiddling little, new decimal pennies which are around today, and I was worth a lot more, I can tell you. One of us Pennies could buy lots of things in a sweet shop. Mmm!

I was thrown into a big bag with lots more newly minted pennies, and we were wheeled on a trolley into a big strongroom. I could hear men talking so I knew what was happening. ‘Put those bags on the trolley and leave them in the strongroom for collecting,’ I heard a man saying. He was the boss. I could tell by his voice.