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My father was stationed at Hall Place / Bletchley Park during the war.... Later transferred to occupied Germany... He had NO connection with the code breakers, just army stationed there... I think he said his ability to type put him in good standing.. I'll have to ask him again. ..... Anyway, I just wanted to mention that Hall Place has an exhibit of wartime memorabilia which includes my dad's library card, images, and other items...

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I agree that Britain did not quite "stand alone" after the defeat in France. Members of the Commonwealth had made their own independent declarations of war on Germany. India as part of the Empire declared war in 1939. Nepal for example was at war and was not a member of the Commonwealth. Thousands of Irish moved to Britain to fight. Even though France, Poland and Czechoslovakia were defeated, thousands of their soldiers, including those evacuated from Dunkirk fought with the along side the British and as members of the RAF. De Gaulle was leading the Free French forces. However, Britain was the only country in Europe that was at war with Germany and had not surrendered. In that sense, she was proudly standing alone.

We stood alone militarily, although the help we got from the USA pre 1941, was considerable, despite a still strong isolationist leaning in the States............But,. I'm reminded of the words of Roosevelt's representative Harry Hopkins on a visit to the UK to see Churchill in January 1941:-

well in any case many thanks I did not even know there was a variety with small date ...Oh pennies Oh pennies they do confuse me so much .....oh that I preferred sixpences !!!!!!!!!!! Ohhhhhde to a penny Oh penny Oh Penny you keep me so confused If I were a lesser man to sixpences I would look but you ...oh bronze thing you set out to bemuse at least with sixpence I would not have to pay £200 to buy all the....B(enter a word which illustrates a sense of frustration)y ....books

I just sent him a picture of what a real 1877 Small Date Looks like.....

Made by Skoda

You don't like unnecessary tautologies?

Yes - I too found more pre-47 florins than shillings, though that may just be coincidence; the mintages of Geo VI silver florins and shillings are broadly similar. On the other hand, before 1982's 20p introduction you'd see many more florins as you'd get up to 4 as change from 50p, where you'd only get one shilling. Sixpences survived until 1980 when they were demonetised.

Just on the picture alone, I'd say that was as near Unc as you're going to find on those coins. (Can't see evidence of dipping.)

Well, I've been watching American TV since Alias Smith & Jones and Kojak in the early 70s, and I can assure you that in all that time I never ever knew that 555 was a fictional phone exchange! (Happy Days, Cagney & Lacey, Murder She Wrote, The Rockford Files, Friends, Taxi, Cheers, Frasier... and all the Star Treks - oh wait... )

I also think we in the West tend to disregard the incredible contribution of the Red Army in the east. Ultimately the real victors were the US and the USSR.

It was extremely common to find florins and shillings in change though it gradually lessened up to 1990/2 when the sizes changed and they were all withdrawn. It was also possible to find pre-47 silver, usually George VI. The humble sixpence also survived until 1980, though there never was a 2 1/2p coin. Note that the mintage of 10 pences and 5 pences (from 1968) never came anywhere near the mintage of 1971 bronze, for precisely this reason, that florins and shillings were only gradually withdrawn. copper123 - you didn't see ANY copper after August 1971 as it was no longer legal tender. In fact halfpennies were demonetised in 1969, so only pennies survived to 1971.

Thanks again to everyone who's contributed so far, especially @seuk for his many images. The database now stands at a bit over three hundred and thirty 1787 sixpences. More representative images welcome! If I can find more than five hundred I'll be a very happy chap.