In article , peter.masson1
@privacy.net says...

"R.C. Payne" wrote

But given that 1/- is exactly one twentieth of a pound, and 2/- is
exactly a tenth, it makes sense that the replacement coin for the same
value, ie 5p and 10p be essentially the same coin, and by extention,
that the old coins remain in circulation. I certainly enjoyed getting
change with a king's rather than queen's head on it. I never happened
upon any older than about 1950, but still...

Until the 1960s it was not that unusual to get 19th century coins - with
Queen Victoria's head - usually pennies but very occasionally silver coins.
Until the new small 5p came in shillings dating back to 1816 were legal
tender, though I don't think I ever saw George III, George IV, or William
III examples. There were also occasional press stories of silver groats
(4d - not Maundy examples) surfacing, being mistaken for silver 3d or
sixpences.

Peter




In the early sixties on a number 9 bus going to the Albert Hall a
passenger offered a coin to the conductor to pay her fare. The
conductor didn't like the look of it but I managed to catch sight of it
and exchanged it for another shilling. It was a rather clapped-out
George IV one from 1820. This was the oldest legal tender coin I've
ever seen in circulation.

Slightly off-topic, in earlier days I was an avid coin collector and
whilst doing National Service bought an Edward I penny by post from
Seaby's. This was a silver coin similar in size to a sixpence. I had
it in my shirt pocket when visiting a fair with my then lady love. We
went on a dodgem and I put some change from this in the same pocket.
The girl concerned wanted another turn so we sat in the dodgem and I
paid again. Back at camp I went to look at the newly arrived penny and
discoverd I only had a modern sixpence there. I often wonder what the
fairground bloke thought about the coin I'd given him!