Re:Understanding British Money: What's a Quid? A Shilling?
by denton-scratch on Saturday March 04, 2023 @11:54AM
(#35022282)
> and 2/6d.
Also known as half a crown, or two-and-six.
Also known as half a crown, or two-and-six.
They stopped minting groats (4d) after 1856 (except in Maundy money), half-farthings after 1870, and farthings after 1956. Farthings and silver thrupnies (3d) were still around but not in circulation.
The florin (2/-, or a tenth of a pound) was introduced during the first attempt at decimalization in 1849.
Crowns (5/-) were never in circulation, but were minted for special events such as coronations. They still are, but their face value is now £5.
Decimalization began in 1968 with the introduction of 5p and 10p coins (same size and value as 1/- and 2/- coins) followed by the 50p coin (10/-) in 1969. It was completed in 1971 with the introduction of the 1/2p, 1p, and 2p coins.
From secondary school onwards, it was decimal money and metric/SI units, which simplified calculations a bit.
Ireland decimalized at the same time as UK, and Australia and New Zealand a few years earlier (at the rate of two dollars to one pound).