Decimal collection

It will come as no great surprise that the Royal Mint Museum has an outstanding collection of material relating to decimalisation. As expected the official reports and the production plans, initial drawings and plaster models prepared by the artists, trial and experimental pieces, approved coins and the sets made available for collectors are all represented. There is, however, another side to the material that has been accumulated.

The process of decimalisation generated a substantial amount of printed information produced to make the British public aware of the enormous change. Official newsletters, and information leaflets, posters and cardboard stands were disseminated far and wide. In addition, there were what might be called novelty items that have survived, including a decimalisation board game by Waddingtons, a set of playing cards, a duster and, of all things, a pair of decimalisation underpants. Gifts of such objects continue to be donated to the Museum enhancing the collection as a thorough social-history record of this important change to the currency.