Pre-Decimal Currency

Handy Quiz Reference

Here’s a table of pre-decimal British coin values, focusing on the main denominations used before decimalisation in 1971. The values are expressed in relation to one another, with the smallest unit being the farthing. Note that the pre-decimal system was based on pounds (£), shillings (s), and pence (d), where 1 pound = 20 shillings, and 1 shilling = 12 pence.

Coin	Value in Farthings	Value in Pence (d)	Value in Shillings (s)	Amount in a Pound (£)
Farthing	1	¼	1/48	960
Halfpenny	2	½	1/24	480
Penny	4	1	1/12	240
Threepence	12	3	¼	80
Sixpence	24	6	½	40
Shilling	48	12	1	20
Florin	96	24	2	10
Half Crown	120	30	2½	8
Crown	240	60	5	4
Pound (Sovereign)	960	240	20	1

1. Farthing: The smallest denomination, 4 farthings = 1 penny.
2. Halfpenny: Pronounced "hayp'ny," worth 2 farthings.
3. Penny: Abbreviated "d" (from Latin "denarius"), worth 4 farthings.
4. Threepence: Often called a "thruppenny bit," worth 3 pence.
5. Sixpence: A common coin, worth 6 pence.
6. Shilling: Abbreviated "s," worth 12 pence or 48 farthings.
7. Florin: Equal to 2 shillings, introduced as a step toward decimalisation.
8. Half Crown: Worth 2 shillings and 6 pence (2s 6d).
9. Crown: Worth 5 shillings, though less common in everyday use.
10. Pound: A gold sovereign coin or paper note, worth 20 shillings or 240 pence.

Quiz

1. How many farthings were there in a pre-decimal shilling?
2. What coin, worth two shillings, was also known as a "two bob bit"?
3. If you had a half crown in your pocket, how many pence would it be worth?
4. What was the name of the coin worth three pence, often called a "thruppenny bit"?
5. How many shillings made up a pre-decimal pound?
6. What coin, worth five shillings, shared its name with a royal headpiece?
7. If you spent a sixpence, how many farthings would you have handed over?
8. What was the value in pence of a florin?
9. Before decimalisation, how many pence were there in a pound?
10. What was the smallest denomination coin in the pre-decimal system, worth a quarter of a penny?

Answers

1. 48
2. Florin
3. 30
4. Threepence
5. 20
6. Crown
7. 24
8. 24
9. 240
10. Farthing