The 1p and 2p coins haven't changed size since their introduction in 1971, so the (decimal) 1/2p was half the weight of the 1p coin (mixed 1/2p, 1p and 2p coins could be weighed together to determine the total value).
So is that why they kept them? Intriguing. Always thought it was an odd-ball coin post Decimal day.
Possibly also retained temporarily (until June 1980) as the old (6d) sixpence converted exactly into 2.5 (new) pence.
I think a lot of our gran's will have had something or other which is no longer commonplace.
I grew up in army married quarters during the 50s and l remember contractors coming in to seal off the old gas lighting, which worked just as you describe. At the same time, another team replaced our old style electric round pin sockets with the "new" 13 amp ring mains variety.
I think they are intended for collectors and as presents. As the current ones are being sold by the Royal Mint at £30, you would lose 99.8% of the purchase cost if you tried to use it in a shop...if they would accept something so unfamiliar.
Nope. And at £30 each, it'll probably be a while too!
At that price I can't imagine many folk buying them to stick in the pudding. Do the (supposedly) indestructible plastic notes survive cooking...
Shame, considering it could have been an opportunity to allow usage of the infamous phrase about having your cake (pudding) and eating it...I am sure that the design committee charged with the change-over to this new type of British currency note did not consider this particular option-usage...
For some reason that’s made me think of Co-op milk tokens, that you bought at the local shop and then left out with your empties? Was that so that the milkman didn’t handle any cash?
We used to do the coop ones, what with the shopping coming from the local Leos. It was always fun when you got something from the department store and they'd pull you off about five books-worth from the roll.
Milk tokens were used for two main reasons:
Hmmm....
Heh, my memories go back as far as the 1970s oil crisis and the effect that had on filling stations, many of whom would offer double or treble Green Shield stamps as a customer incentive. When petrol prices soared these stations offered 10, 20 or even 30-fold stamps, which meant even buying just a couple of gallons led to reams of the things chuntering out of the issuing machine!
Not forgetting Lava lamps!
I had totally forgotten about those. I remember that there was a handful in a drawer when I was a boy but I never saw my mother do anything with them and never thought to ask what they were.
Somewhere I have a few unused Green Shield stamps, left over because there were insufficient to claim any worthwhile value for them.
Most people of a "certain age" can remember their mothers' co-op numbers. I still can.
Yep, they were yellow had a tick and said ‘job done’ on them.
Talking of window signs, how about the Blue Arrow you were supposed to put in the window when you were expecting a delivery from the catalogue.
I must be that age as well - but it was only a 5 digit number. I expect it all got recorded in a book in your local shop. I’m assuming it didn’t work anywhere else?
My mum's number was a 6 digit number. I seem to recall that it as recorded on an attachment to the till where the cashier had to dial in the individual digits for printing out on the receipt. Sorry, reminiscence going off topic!
