BRITAIN last week took the first step in a three-year conversion of its currency to the decimal system by introducing the first two new coins, the 5-new-pence piece and the 10-new-pence piece. After more than four centuries of a cumbersome system based on pounds, shillings and pence12 pence to the shilling, 20 shillings to the poundthe pound will equal 100 new pennies under the new system. Both new coins are equal in value to certain old ones: 5 new pence equals an old shilling and 10 new pence has the value of a 2-shilling piece (a florin). They are, however, the...
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