Getting prepared ………… Decimal Day ………. 1971

Now for anyone who has forgotten, and for all those who never knew, Decimal Day was February 15th, 1971, and it ushered in the decimalization of our currency.

Out went £sd, or again for those who don’t know, pounds, shillings and pennies and in came the simplified £ and new pence.

Hence forth a £ consisted of 100 new pence, which did away with the historic and wee bit confusing arrangement where a £ was made of 20 shillings, and a shilling was made up of twelve pennies.

In the process coins which went back into the long and distant past ceased to exist.

These included the shilling,  and the Happenny, joining the half crown, threepenny bit and the farthing.

Now most of my generation and although those that went before me, had no problem with counting pennies, shillings and Pounds, but I concede that in creating a decimal system was more logical.

Looking back at old news programmes, there were some who struggled with the change and mindful that it could be confusing, the Government ran a huge publicity campaign.

And out of that came New Money Snap, a game to be played at home by people of all ages.

I had completely forgotten it, but in turning out some old family stuff, I came across our copy.

The instructions point out that “The rules for ‘New Money Snap’ are the same as for ordinary snap with the additional rule that snap can be called where the money value is the same”.

Our pack is still in pristine condition, which rather makes me think that no one was at all confused, or worried about the changeover.

Location; the UK











Pictures; playing cards from New Money Snap, 1971, from the collection of Andrew Simpson