BBC ON THIS DAY | 23 | 1968: Decimal coins reach the high street

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cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tr> <td><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="10" height="10" alt="" /></td> <td><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="238" height="10" alt="" /></td> <td><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="10" height="10" alt="" /></td> <td><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="238" height="10" alt="" /></td> <td><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="10" height="10" alt="" /></td> <td bgcolor="#deedfb"><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="3" height="10" alt="" /></td> <td bgcolor="#deedfb"><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="248" height="10" alt="" /></td> <td bgcolor="#deedfb"><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="3" height="10" alt="" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top"><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="1" height="1" alt="" /></td> <td valign="top"><font size="2"><div class="bodytext"> <font size="3"><div class="hpad"><b>1968: Decimal coins reach the high street</b></div></font> The first decimal coins are making their way into purses throughout Britain, in preparation for replacing the current system of pounds, shillings and pence by 1971. <P> The five new pence and ten new pence coins operate alongside the shilling and the florin, and will have the same value. They are also the same size and weight. <P> They caused initial confusion to shoppers, many of whom refused to take them. <P> There was further misunderstanding over the value of a penny. Many thought the five new penny coin was worth five old pence - when it is in fact worth a shilling, or 12 old pence. <P> </font> <table cellspacing="0" width="0" border="0" bgcolor="#deedfb" cellpadding="0"> <tr><td><font size="2"> <div class="cb"> </font> <table width="228" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" class="iq"> <tr> <td width="20"><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="20" height="6" alt="" /></td> <td width="188"><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="188" height="1" alt="" /></td> <td width="20"><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="20" height="1" alt="" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top"><img src="/onthisday/img/t_quo.gif" width="15" height="12" alt="" /></td> <td><font size="2">It looks pretty simple to me<br></font></td> <td valign="bottom" align="right"><img src="/onthisday/img/b_quo.gif" width="15" height="12" alt="" /></td> </tr> </table> <font size="2"> <div>London newspaper seller <br></div> </div> </font></td></tr> <tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="1" height="15" border="0" alt=""></td></tr> </table> <font size="2"> <P> Others, though, took the new money in their stride. <P> "I suppose it will take a bit of getting used to," said one newspaper seller in the City of London, "but I don't think it will bother me at all. I've seen the pictures in the papers and it looks pretty simple to me." <P> But a fruit-seller was concerned that the two new coins were being brought in ahead of the full range of decimal currency. <P> "People will get used to a tenpenny piece being worth 24 pence, and then they will have to change their ideas," he said. <P> <B>Special training</B> <P> Two of London's biggest stores have given special training to staff in the use of the new coins. <P> One supermarket manager was optimistic about his customers' attitudes to the changeover. <P> "I think they've more or less adjusted right away," he said. "I think, though, they tend to regard them as shilling and two-shilling pieces rather than five and ten pence at this time - I think this will take longer." <P> He added that it would be another six months before price tags changed to reflect the new currency, warning of "absolute chaos" if the change happened overnight. <P> About 15m 10p coins and 20m 5p coins will be issued to begin with - a small fraction of the number of shillings and florins in circulation. <P> Lord Fiske, chairman of the Decimal Currency Board, said the coins would be in the minority in tills and in change for a long time. <P>  <p> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td width="1"><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="1" height="1" alt=" " border="0"></td> <td width="237"><img src="/shared/img/999999.gif" width="237" height="1" alt="" border="0"></td> </tr> <tr> <td height="18"><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="1" height="1" alt=" " border="0"></td> <td align="left"><font size="2"><a class="index" onClick="popUpPage('http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/email/news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/23/newsid_2523000/2523895.stm','status=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes,width=370,height=445','Mailer')" href="http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/email/news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/23/newsid_2523000/2523895.stm" target="Mailer"><img src="/shared/img/icons/mail_icon_blu.gif" width="13" height="9" alt="" border="0"> <span><b>E-mail this story to a friend</b></span> </a></font></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="1"><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="1" height="1" alt=" " border="0"></td> <td width="237"><img src="/shared/img/999999.gif" width="237" height="1" alt="" border="0"></td> </tr> </table> </div></font></td> <td valign="top"><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="1" height="1" alt="" /></td> <td valign="top"><font size="2"><div class="bodytext"> <table width="238" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" class="wl"> <tr> <td align="center" class="b"><img src="/shared/img/999999.gif" width="230" height="1" alt="" /><br /><img src="/shared/img/999999.gif" width="234" height="1" alt="" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="h"><b><font size="2" color="#ffffff">Watch/Listen</font></b></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="c"> <div class="inlineimage"> <img src="/media/images/38610000/jpg/_38610367_decimal_238.jpg" width="238" height="178" alt="Shoppers using the new coins" border="0" vspace="0"> <div class="caption"><font size="1">The new coins caused initial confusion to shoppers</font><br></div> </div> </td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="/shared/img/000000.gif" width="238" height="1" alt="" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td class="piva"><a onClick="javascript:newsi.utils.av.launch({storyId:6559703, fileLoc: '/player/nol/newsid_6550000/newsid_6559700/', nbram: 1,bbram: 1,bbwm: 1,nbwm: 1});return false;" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/nol/newsid_6550000/newsid_6559700?redirect=6559703.stm&news=1&nbram=1&bbram=1&bbwm=1&nbwm=1"><img src="/onthisday/img/video_ico.gif" width="95" height="20" alt="" border="0" vspace="2" hspace="0" /></a><br /><font size ="1"><a onClick="javascript:newsi.utils.av.launch({storyId:6559703, fileLoc: '/player/nol/newsid_6550000/newsid_6559700/', nbram: 1,bbram: 1,bbwm: 1,nbwm: 1});return false;" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/player/nol/newsid_6550000/newsid_6559700?redirect=6559703.stm&news=1&nbram=1&bbram=1&bbwm=1&nbwm=1">Shoppers get first taste of decimal coins</a></font></td> </tr> <tr> <td><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="238" height="5" alt="" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" class="b"><img src="/shared/img/999999.gif" width="234" height="1" alt="" /><br /><img src="/shared/img/999999.gif" width="230" height="1" alt="" /><br /><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="1" height="15" alt="" /></td> </tr> </table> <SCRIPT LANGUAGE=JavaScript>  </SCRIPT> <br /><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="1" height="10" alt="" /> </font> <table cellspacing="0" align="center" width="0" border="0" bgcolor="#deedfb" cellpadding="0"> <tr><td bgcolor="#7aa6c8"><div class="fbh"><font size="2">In Context</font></div></td></tr> <tr><td><font size="2"> <div class="cb"> The conversion to decimal currency continued gradually over the next three years. The 50p coin was next to be released, replacing the 10 shilling note in 1969. <P> "Decimal Day" was 15 February 1971. The centuries-old tradition of using 12 pence to the shilling, and 20 shillings to the pound, was replaced by the new system of 100 new pence to the pound. <P> The term "new penny" was dropped in 1982, on the grounds that the decimal pennies were not new any more. <P> Britain is now facing another difficult decision over a wholesale change in currency: the transfer to the euro in place of pounds and pence. So far the government has held back, although 12 other European countries adopted the currency on 1 January 2002. <br> </div> </font></td></tr> <tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="1" height="15" border="0" alt=""></td></tr> </table> <font size="2"> </div></font></td> <td valign="top"><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="10" height="1" alt="" /></td> <td valign="top" bgcolor="#deedfb"><img src="/shared/img/o.gif" width="1" height="1" alt="" /></td> <td valign="top" bgcolor="#deedfb"> <div class="g"><font size="2"><b>Stories From 23 Apr </b></font></div> <div class="piitb"><font size="2"><div class="arorhs"><a href="/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/23/newsid_2523000/2523959.stm"><span>1979: Teacher dies in Southall race riots</span></a><br></div> </font></div> <div class="piitb"><font size="2"><div class="arorhs"><a href="/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/23/newsid_2524000/2524039.stm"><span>1984: Scientist finds Aids virus</span></a><br></div> </font></div> 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BBC ON THIS DAY | 23 | 1968: Decimal coins reach the high street