Britain To Examine Decimal Coinage

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30106, 15 April 1963, Page 11

Britain To Examine Decimal Coinage

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UXmOK. April 14. Britain may not be ee far behind Australia and New Zealand’s change to the decimal system with 1# instead ef i t pennies to the shilling. Within the next two months a special committee heeded by Lord Hatobury will be reporting to the Government on the possibility of Britain going over to decimals.

If. as experts predict, they advocate that Britain change to the decimal system—used to more than 200 of the world’s 231 countries—toe Government may well start th first phase of conversion before the end of this year, and it could be that by 1966 when Australia changes over. Brifcn rill also be doing so

The most popular decimal eoiMMS system ter Britain would be to make 10s the major unit. a« wtas adopted in South Africa where the IQs unit is called a rand Tbs meet popular suggested name tor a Bretah 10a unit is a royal, with a. noble as runner-up A Britannia has also been nropceed. Coder this system. 100 pence would make a royal, raising the value of a penny to almost Ud. British bonkers and city financiers approve decima’s but have said that the 10s unit system is a slight to the £ with its important international status, and they would prefer to keep the £, broken down into 10 florins and 100 cents A cent would in this case toe worth 2.4 d. That might have to be further broken down, by having 1000 tiny coins, probably called anils, to the £.