Collecting decimal coins given in my change

[£400 for a Penny ? 0]

I miss the 10 shilling note and the £1 note...I've even starting collecting them...but when you get into replacement notes it gets serious.I was given an unopened wage envelope from the 1930/40's and it contained peppiate 10/- and £1 both worth a bit...especially the 10/-...

When I first went to the pub a pint was 22p and we all drank light and bitter because the bitter was awfull and if you were nice to the barmaid you often got a pint +.

Interested in what circumstances a wage packet would remain unopened ?

I think we all drank light and bitter because it was the trend. My local used to have 14 different pumps in those days, serving 6 different courage bitters. On a friday or saturday night you had to get there by 7.30pm or risk being turned away as the place was stuffed to the rafters, everyone went there.

30 years later there are seldom more than a handful of people in there at anytime.

[Peter 615]

I miss the 10 shilling note and the £1 note...I've even starting collecting them...but when you get into replacement notes it gets serious.I was given an unopened wage envelope from the 1930/40's and it contained peppiate 10/- and £1 both worth a bit...especially the 10/-...

When I first went to the pub a pint was 22p and we all drank light and bitter because the bitter was awfull and if you were nice to the barmaid you often got a pint +.

Interested in what circumstances a wage packet would remain unopened ?

I think we all drank light and bitter because it was the trend. My local used to have 14 different pumps in those days, serving 6 different courage bitters. On a friday or saturday night you had to get there by 7.30pm or risk being turned away as the place was stuffed to the rafters, everyone went there.

30 years later there are seldom more than a handful of people in there at anytime.

When the option was a Watneys party 7 it had to be the pub....my old local is now into food rather than beer...I met my wife there when completly slaughtered...she must of realised I had 1698 & 1717 farthings stashed away.

[Fubar 71]

Oh Dear!

Bitter was 1/1d (just over 5p) and mild 11d (just under 5p) when I started drinking.

[Peter 615]

Oh Dear!

Bitter was 1/1d (just over 5p) and mild 11d (just under 5p) when I started drinking.

I hope you didn't pay with KN's H's or ME's....I can remember my father coming home from work with all the pre 47 silver from the till and any Vickie pennies for me....my grandfather also saved silver but we never found it apart from £300 in his shed.

[davidrj 194]

Oh Dear!

Bitter was 1/1d (just over 5p) and mild 11d (just under 5p) when I started drinking.

Ditto! I used to borrow 10/- off my Mum if I was going out for the night

David

[Peter 615]

Oh Dear!

Bitter was 1/1d (just over 5p) and mild 11d (just under 5p) when I started drinking.

Ditto! I used to borrow 10/- off my Mum if I was going out for the night

David

When I was 16 £3 was enough to get into the social club disco...get bladdered and finish off with a kebab.I suppose it was all reletive as I was earning 45p hour for pumping petrol.

[RobJ 0]

Wow! Is it really that long ago. I was in Oxford then, and I remember deliberately getting the bus the bus to work (it was only 3 stops and I usually walked) so that I could get some of the new coins in my change. I also seem to recall that Lsd disappeared incredibly quickly

Sadly I was born after Decimalization so I have only ever really known modern coins and I didn't have the chance to experience 'Old Money' except for the odd Sixpence, Shilling or Florin that popped up on occasion.

I bet that it was quite exciting finding your first 'New Money' in your change David. I think that I would have went on the bus that day aswell. lol

[RobJ 0]

I find youngsters gobsmacked at just how large pennies and halfcrowns were

I really like the Half Crown. I've often thought that it would have been a good idea to have kept the size and shape and made it the 50p coin as they did with the Shilling and Florin for the 5p and 10p.

give em a carwheel twopence then see how gobsmacked they will be

I was quite dumbfounded when I first saw a Cartwheel Twopence. lol They really are magnificent 'Chunks' of metal!

They certainly don't make them like that anymore!

[Marc 0]

Got mail for the first time this week! 2 coins, supplies and "Check Your Change". Great book Chris!

Mine came with a 1978 BUC 2p! Always like getting beautiful coins for free! Besides its' value, it's also nice to have a 2p coin in this state to use as a comparison when grading.

Unfortunately, here in Scotland I don't see many English notes. Any suggested resources for Scottish notes?

Again, great book Chris - thanks!

Marc

[RobJ 0]

When I was 16 £3 was enough to get into the social club disco...get bladdered and finish off with a kebab.I suppose it was all reletive as I was earning 45p hour for pumping petrol.

I very much doubt that you would be able to purchase a Pint or a Kebab these days for £3, let alone both! lol

I remember as a youngster getting on the bus to Town and it cost 10p, the last time that I did the same journey it was £2.20! lol

[Red Riley 2]

Sadly I was born after Decimalization so I have only ever really known modern coins and I didn't have the chance to experience 'Old Money' except for the odd Sixpence, Shilling or Florin that popped up on occasion.

I bet that it was quite exciting finding your first 'New Money' in your change David. I think that I would have went on the bus that day aswell. lol

Excuse me, I feel an anecdote coming on...

I used to work behind the till at my Dad's shop after school and was there on 15 February 1971. Being young, I had no problem with the new money but some of the older people, many of whom had been born in the 19th century were completely at your mercy; you could have given them anything in their change and they would have been none the wiser. Simply, you just took in the old money (in multiples of six old pennies or 2 1/2p)and handed out change in the new, large quantities of pennies and threepenny bits piling up in the safe out in the storeroom. It was a sad feeling bagging up the old money (meticulously checked of course) to be sent back to the bank and an ultimate firey end at the hands of the Royal Mint.

For most people the process was all over in a couple of weeks but there were the old diehards who never got to grips with decimalisation; I remember four or five years later, and then being old enough to drink, visiting the Cross Keys in Great Missenden, ordering a pint and being told it was 'three shillings and fourpence halfpenny' or whatever. I paid my money and got change but God knows how much - the landlord was over ninety and you just felt sorry for him, so didn't query what was in your hand. The beer was okay though...

[Peter 615]

When I was 16 £3 was enough to get into the social club disco...get bladdered and finish off with a kebab.I suppose it was all reletive as I was earning 45p hour for pumping petrol.

I very much doubt that you would be able to purchase a Pint or a Kebab these days for £3, let alone both! lol

I remember as a youngster getting on the bus to Town and it cost 10p, the last time that I did the same journey it was £2.20! lol

I went to the football at Ipswich when Mulleys bus was 25p entry to the gound 25p and a programme for 6p...this was in the 70's when you put your scarf around your wrist and we had propper bovver boys.Dr Martins with white laces were the bizz.

[scott 129]

way ipswitch are going it could be that price again

come up north for sub £3 pints

i dont really remember much, i only remember the large 50p's and the early days of the small 10ps (and getting a few old 5p's ) kept a few of the large 50p's including a 1985 i salvaged in 1996

[RobJ 0]

Excuse me, I feel an anecdote coming on...

I used to work behind the till at my Dad's shop after school and was there on 15 February 1971. Being young, I had no problem with the new money but some of the older people, many of whom had been born in the 19th century were completely at your mercy; you could have given them anything in their change and they would have been none the wiser. Simply, you just took in the old money (in multiples of six old pennies or 2 1/2p)and handed out change in the new, large quantities of pennies and threepenny bits piling up in the safe out in the storeroom. It was a sad feeling bagging up the old money (meticulously checked of course) to be sent back to the bank and an ultimate firey end at the hands of the Royal Mint.

For most people the process was all over in a couple of weeks but there were the old diehards who never got to grips with decimalisation; I remember four or five years later, and then being old enough to drink, visiting the Cross Keys in Great Missenden, ordering a pint and being told it was 'three shillings and fourpence halfpenny' or whatever. I paid my money and got change but God knows how much - the landlord was over ninety and you just felt sorry for him, so didn't query what was in your hand. The beer was okay though...

That is an excellent anecdote Red.

I can still remember when growing up my Mother working things out in Decimal and then converting them into 'Old Money' to work out the price of things. She was often disgusted at the prices and often told the shopkeeper that it used to cost 1s/6d or however much it used to cost. lol

I think that it must have been very hard for some people to get used to the change to Decimal, especially as you say, the older generation. I'm sure that many people lost out due to unscrupulous people knowingly giving them back the wrong change knowing that they didn't understand the new Decimal system. Which is very sad really.

There is an interesting Video Clip in this link with people speaking about how they put their trust in the Shopkeepers to give them the correct change.

You have to admire the old dear who simply refused any Decimal coins, bless her. lol

[davidrj 194]

I can still remember when growing up my Mother working things out in Decimal and then converting them into 'Old Money' to work out the price of things. She was often disgusted at the prices and often told the shopkeeper that it used to cost 1s/6d or however much it used to cost. lol

There was rampant inflation at the time, many blamed decimalisation, but figures show inflation was lower in the period post February than during the preceding period.

Folk in Europe blamed the introduction of the Euro for rising prices. Don't know whether the figures backed this up, or it was again a way of expressing annoyence at the change

David

[RobJ 0]

My apologies.

The link that I reffered to with the people speaking about putting their trust in the Shopkeepers to give them correct change is here

Sorry for any confusion.

[scott 129]

priced did increase during the euro changeover, that i can confirm as during the euro period prices were shown in both currencies,

i have 2 of the same objects bout a year apart, one bought first year of euro - 4.54, next year 4.80

[£400 for a Penny ? 0]

Talking of inflation, being an Army brat, I was in Germany in the early 70's and my pocket money was 1 Deutschmark a week. 10p basically.

When the Germans joined the Euro, a D'Mark was 3 to the pound

I arrived in the UK to learn (yet another) curency and I was instantly taken with the old florin (doubling as 10p) I liked those.

Things that Germany does better than England - cold wursts at breakfast, schnitzels and busty maidens without foul mouths.

Things England does better than Germany - warm bitter and rugby. Curry.

[Peckris 579]

Seriously though, next year will see the 40th Anniversary of Decimalization in the UK.

I really think that too much is made of the D Day February 1971 date. It's just one day out of :

1966 - announcement of decimalisation and all coins will be dated 1967 from now on

1968 - introduction of 10p and 5p and sale of the blue wallets

1969 - demonetisation of halfpenny and halfcrown, introduction of 50p, introduction of dual pricing

August 1971 - D Day 2, demonetisation of penny and threepenny bits

So February 1971 is just a tad overplayed IMO

When I first went to the pub a pint was 22p and we all drank light and bitter because the bitter was awfull and if you were nice to the barmaid you often got a pint +.

Youngster!! It was two bob (10p) when I started, though I believe mild was rather less.

There was rampant inflation at the time, many blamed decimalisation, but figures show inflation was lower in the period post February than during the preceding period.

I could never get over the woeful lack of grasp of even basic economics that caused people to make such fatuous claims. Even if - as they probably did - shopkeepers 'rounded up' to the nearest 1/2p, that was for one month only, and you can hardly blame a few years of inflation on the fractions of one penny that occurred in one single month!!!

[RobJ 0]

There was rampant inflation at the time, many blamed decimalisation, but figures show inflation was lower in the period post February than during the preceding period.

Folk in Europe blamed the introduction of the Euro for rising prices. Don't know whether the figures backed this up, or it was again a way of expressing annoyence at the change

David

I have often heard people comment that one of the worst things that this country did was to go Decimal and that it debased the value of the Pound as they felt that the exchange from L/S/D to Decimal wasn't equal or fair. I'm sure many of our European neighbours felt the same way with the introduction of the Euro.

I do think that for a lot of people it was change, or the fear of change, that was the issue. It is often easy for us to blame the things that we fear or do not understand for all the ills in the world, whether they are to blame or not.

Sorry, I'll get of my Sociological soapbox and back the subject of coins now. lol

[1949threepence 3,366]

My apologies.

The link that I reffered to with the people speaking about putting their trust in the Shopkeepers to give them correct change is here

Sorry for any confusion.

Thanks for that, Rob. I'd bet the vast majority of people had absolutely no problem at all with the changeover. Obviously the media then, as now, honed in on the few that did, to make it look like a potential problem area.

No scanners in the supermarket then, I noticed. Just the girl on the till ringing up each item on a cash register.

[scott 129]

i hate the euro, franc was always 10 - £1 mark always 3 - £1. euro is some random number you can not convert quickly, rather annoying

that and they are ugly apart from the special issues, i got a tri-metalic german 2euro (had a random copper band where the join is between the usual 2 pieces) incednetly i have the 1992 ecu set.. all i can say is thank god we arn't spending those, the highest denomination is quite big

[Boomstick 0]

I used to work on the tills at my local supermarket in my school days. We had scanners then, but there was this old nutter who used to come in who thought they gave you cancer and made you ring his £80 weekly shop through by hand. We used to watch him passing along the till line with dread!

[1949threepence 3,366]

I used to work on the tills at my local supermarket in my school days. We had scanners then, but there was this old nutter who used to come in who thought they gave you cancer and made you ring his £80 weekly shop through by hand. We used to watch him passing along the till line with dread!

There's always one !!!

[Peter 615]

In the late 70's I can remember getting an 18% cost of living rise.Houses were £10k and a decent car £1.5k.You couldn't borrow money without proving you could afford it...I work with younger people who mostly are in debt.....If you can't afford it don't buy it...even around some of the poorer areas there are still brand new cars parked outside.