Decimal Currency

[Alushock]

When was decimal currency introduced?

[Votadinus]

1971 - 15 February, I think.

[GMan]

It was definitely February 15 (as it was my birthday!) and the year was ... waits while reaches for encyclopeadia (is this cheating) ... definitely 1971. D-Day as it became known. Best memory: in old money you would get four Juicyfruits to a penny, in new money you got eight (but you should have got 10), prompting overnight claims of rip-off pricing tactics.

[DOUBRIS]

Good point, GMan, but they weren't Juicyfruits (which was foul-tasting gum) but Fruit Salads: small chewy sweets that stripped the enamel off your teeth and ripped out fillings. For the same price you could buy four Blackjacks -- the licorice version and even fouler!

[allen ives]

Historically, French revolutionaries tried to decimalise everything (money, time, measure, etc) about 1800. There were probably early currencies based on the figure 10. I've an idea that ancient Rome used a base 10 system.

[SRAYN1]

You'll find a whole feature on this subject. Just click here http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Article.go?id=599

[ChardCoins]

We presume that you mean in the UK, and the answer has already been provided, but decimal currency was introduced by the French during the Revolution, and by the USA shortly afterwards in 1793. The answers given are not entirely accurate. Although D-Day was indeed 15th February 1971, that was only the changeover day. Decimal 5 and 10 new pences had been in circulation since 1968, 50 pences since 1969, and there was also an earlier coin called a florin (two shillings) introduced in 1849. More information at:- www.24carat.co.uk/1848godlessflorin.html