© Wales News Service The threepence piece is one of Britain’s longest-serving coins and has been in circulation for nearly half a millennium - WALES NEWS SERVICE

The Royal Mint is giving away £1 million worth of historic silver “thruppences” as it battles to stop coin collecting dying out in the digital age.

The threepence piece is one of Britain’s longest-serving coins and has been in circulation for nearly half a millennium, first introduced during the reign of Edward VI in 1551.

Now the Royal Mint plans to hand out 120,000 of the original George V thruppences - dating back to 1911 - for free from its vaults.

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Coin collectors can usually buy the coin from about £8.50, meaning the giveaway will be worth more than £1 million in total.

Sir Tony Robinson, the Blackadder star and history broadcaster, has been brought in as the face of the campaign to get younger generations interested in coin collecting.

He said: "It can seem like older and younger generations have nothing in common but it's so important for families to find a hobby together that can create quality time.”

He added: "There's something beautiful about having a tangible item that connects us to the wider world, especially in an age where we spend most of our time connecting online.

"I love the thought that owning an original George V Silver threepence might inspire people, of all ages, to start a coin collection or dig deeper into Britain's rich history."

© Wales News Service The coins are worth around £8.50

The Royal Mint said the coin has been part of British life throughout the Tudor, Elizabethan and Victorian eras.

Daniel Penney, managing director for The London Mint Office, said: "It has connected people from all walks of life for nearly 500 years and it's a wonderful symbol to connect current family generations together now.

"Technology plays such a big role in our lives today that it's easy to lose that physical connection with each other, so we hope the V silver threepence might inspire families to spend time together by starting their own coin collections, holding history in their hands."

To get a free George V silver threepence coin visit londonmintoffice.org/ silvercoin, or call free on 08081 33 33 44.

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