Britain’s First Decimal Coins Set 1971
Contains 5 Uncirculated Coins
1968 – 10p
1968 – 5p
1971 – 2p
1971 – 1p
1971 – ½p
Set of ‘Britain’s First Decimal Coins’ issued by the Decimal Currency Board 1960s in advance of and heralding Decimal Day Monday 15 February 1971. Comprising three bronze coins (half, one and new penny) and two cupro-nickel coins (5 and 10 new pence), fitted in card within a blue plastic wallet 13x9cm opening to 13×17.5cm. With second card inset describing coins designed by Arnold Machin obverse, Christopher Ironside reverse, and setting timetable from 1968 for the phased introduction of metric coinage system which ‘breaks away from a system of counting coins dating back to Anglo Saxon times’
On 15 February 1971, known as Decimal Day, the United Kingdom and Ireland decimalized their currencies.
Under the old currency of pounds, shillings, and pence, the pound was made up of 240 pence (denoted by the letter d for Latin denarius and now referred to as “old pence”), with 12 pence in a shilling and 20 shillings (denoted by s for Latin solidus) in a pound. The loss of value of the currency meant that the “old” penny, with the same diameter as the US half-dollar, was of relatively slight value, while the farthing, which was worth one-quarter of an old penny, had been demonetized on 1 January 1961.
 
Royal Mint
The makers of Britain’s First Decimal Coins Set, Established between 12th and 13th centuries. Before the end of the 13th century, it was housed in the Tower of London. 1282 – the Trial of the Pyx introduced, and still continues, whereby random coins are assessed against standards. 1696 – Sir Isaac Newton took up the post of Warden of the Mint. 1809 – in order to house a steam-powered coin press, new premises were purpose built at Tower Hill. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, branches were opened in many Commonwealth countries. 1939-1945 – bombed by the Germans on several occasions. 1968 at the advent of decimal currency, the mint was relocated to Llantrisant in South Wales. 1975 – the last coin struck at the Tower Hill premises.