Cornish penny marks bicentenary

The specially minted Cornish pennies will be given to schoolchildren

A Cornish penny has been minted to coincide with bicentenary celebrations of the Portreath to Poldice Tramway.

The tramway was the first of its kind in Cornwall and linked inland copper mines to Portreath harbour.

The limited edition De Dunstanville Cornish Penny commemorates Lord De Dunstanville laying the first piece of track in 1809.

Cornish pennies were originally minted by mine owners faced with a shortage of government copper.

The mine workers were able to use the pennies as trading tokens, exchanging them for goods and services locally.

The newly minted pennies, created by Cornish Mining World Heritage, will be presented to local schoolchildren.