ScuzzBlog: Diaries March 2020 Entry 18th March 2020: Post 02: Cost of retro - In old money. Cost of retro - In old money. In February 1971 the UK decimalised its currency and no longer did we have 12 pennies to the shilling and twenty shillings to the pound. For a while it was really confusing and even shop keepers struggled to get their head round it. In the day folk really only used coin and so you can imagine the arguments there were over just what change should be given. There were just so many different coins to deal with. Anyhoo... on that booklet to Spirograph there was a reference to 2'6 or two'n'six which is two shillings and six pence or 12.5p today. So I thought it would be interesting to show just what coins you could use to buy the thing. Be aware that coins had their own secondary definition based on where you lived in the country. So this is what we called them. Cost of retro - In old money. You could fill your pockets with a quids worth of coins. We start with Half a Crown or two'n'six. Next we have two bob and a sixpenny bit. Or two shilling pieces, three pennies and a thru'penny bit. Two shilling and six pennies. Or two ship 'ha'pennies' [ ha'penny .. pronounced 'ape-knee'. if you get my drift ] instead of pennies. The ha'penny coins could be split again into farthings. In 1911 the National Insurance Act was introduced that placed increased demand for coins. Consequently the Heaton Mint was used to create extra coins. A penny from the mint carries the letter 'H'. PS I don't collect money. I just spend it. I much prefer having stuff to play with.

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Last updated 18th March 2020

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