8 British Currency Decimalised and Imperialised 



the double-florin (200 cents) would be restored to 

 circulation. The florin might, with advantage, have 

 restored to it the inscription " one-tenth of 1" which 

 was a noticeable feature of the gothic coin of the Victorian 

 period. The shilling and 6d. piece would become 50 and 

 25 cents respectively. 



The NICKEL * coins would be an innovation in the 

 British currency, and represent long-desired intermediate 

 values between the silver and bronze coins of a more 

 durable metal than silver. They would be two in 

 number, consisting of 20 cents (approx=5d.) and 

 10 cents or (British) "dime" ( = 2Jd.), and their edges 

 would be scalloped to distinguish them from the silver 

 coins. They would be legal tender to 5 fl. 



The BRONZE coins, which, like the silver coins, are 

 merely tokens, representing certain values in relation to 

 the pound sterling, would be depreciated in value by 

 4 per cent a change so slight as to be inappreciable. 

 New coins would be issued of 1, 2, and 5 cents. The 

 conversion of the penny into a 5 cent piece need cause 

 inconvenience to no one, as the former amount would be 

 represented by two 2 cent pieces ; and if the new coins 

 are impressed with their respective figures 1, 2, and 5 

 even the poorest person would have no difficulty in 

 making his purchases or in receiving and giving change. 

 While in circulation the old penny would represent 4 

 cents. The name "farthing," representing the fractional 

 part of a penny, from the Saxon feorthung = a, fourth 

 part, would be abolished as being decimally antago- 

 nistic, and it would be desirable to offer every facility and 

 encouragement to the general public to forget pence and 

 think and calculate in cents. By the slight reduction in 

 weight of the three bronze coins, by 5 '68, 3 '4, and 1*7 



* Nickel as a metal is to be preferred to aluminium, as the latter is 

 injuriously affected by contact with solutions of soda ; and scalloping is 

 preferable to perforation, as the latter interferes with the impressions on 

 the faces of the coins. 



