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Message:: [QUOTE="Troodon, post: 140475, member: 4626"]That 10 pence coin dates back to when the UK was phasing in decimalization, going from the old system of 12 pence = 1 shilling, 20 shillings = 1 pound (or 240 pence = 1 pound) to the decimalized system of 100 pence = 1 pound.  To try to minimze confusion, pre-decimal coins would be treated as being worth the same fraction of a pound as before; so the old shilling was worth 12 old pence, would now be worth 5 new pence.  To further ease the transition, new decimal coins were initially minted the same size as what they replaced.  Thus the 10 pence coin was initally minted the same size as the florin (2 shillings).  In 1971 the decimalization was complete.  (1969 and 1970, they minted some of the new ones to help ease the transition.)  I think by early 80's they new longer called them "new pence" just simply "pence" and they started minted them in their current sizes. You can still find a lot of the pre-decimal and transitional (decimal coins in old sizes) in circulation in the UK.  I was there about 1992 and still found a bunch.  Took a while to get used to, lol, but most of the older ones I took home as souvineers rahter than figure out what they trade as.  After studying older British coins as I put a few in my collection I got used to figuring out the old system.[/QUOTE]