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Morning musing, coin sizes?
alistairolsen - 14/4/10 at 07:37 AM

I was standing in the que this morning idly shuffling money in my hand and trying to decide whether it was more correct to put them in order if denomination or physical size when I wondered why the physical sizes are not based on their denomination?

Can anyone tell me what the rationale is behind the sizes and shapes of uk coins?

Cheers!

daviep - 14/4/10 at 07:41 AM

Don't know but I always arrange by size

skinned knuckles - 14/4/10 at 07:43 AM

cant tell you about the rationale behind coin sizes, but i always arrange them in physical size. they just look wrong in numerical size.

coozer - 14/4/10 at 07:47 AM

And, whats the point?

02GF74 - 14/4/10 at 07:48 AM

I thought the £ 2 coin is sized to weigh twice as much as two £ 1 coins.

similarly the 2p and 1p and maybe the 10p and 5 p.

Notice how in recent years the coins have become smaller 10p, 5p, an underhand trick by the government to steel metal from our pockets yet are worth less than in previous years!!??

When I were lad, 5p could buy you a night's stay in a cheap Bournemouth hotel.

balidey - 14/4/10 at 08:05 AM

Can't answer why.
But I agree with the above, its got to be sorted by size.
Locostbuilders, setting the world right one silly step at a time

deezee - 14/4/10 at 08:09 AM

I think its dating back to when currency was the value of the metal it is made out of.

David Jenkins - 14/4/10 at 09:05 AM

quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
an underhand trick by the government to steel metal from our pockets


A very apt typo - most 'copper' coins these days are plated steel, as copper alloy is worth more than the face value of the coins!

Daddylonglegs - 14/4/10 at 09:10 AM

Apparently size doesn't matter

waits........

matt_claydon - 14/4/10 at 10:02 AM

I think it's logical so coins can easily be identified at a glance and by feel:

Small and large 'copper' coins, round, smooth edge

Small and large 'silver' coins, round, ridged edge

Small and large heptagonal coins

Small and large 'gold' coins, thick, ridged edge (the old £2 coin was just like a £1 but twice the mass, the new one is a bit out of logic).

alistairolsen - 14/4/10 at 10:15 AM

quote:
Originally posted by matt_claydon
I think it's logical so coins can easily be identified at a glance and by feel:

Small and large 'copper' coins, round, smooth edge

Small and large 'silver' coins, round, ridged edge

Small and large heptagonal coins

Small and large 'gold' coins, thick, ridged edge (the old £2 coin was just like a £1 but twice the mass, the new one is a bit out of logic).


aye, the range of sizes and shapes makes sense, theyre just out of order

the 5p should be the 1p and copper coloured, the 1p the 5 and silver. The 20p should be the 2p and copper and so on....

Someone somewhere must have decided on the current range for some reason that made sense at the time

tegwin - 14/4/10 at 11:58 AM

Cant complain..

Have you tried to use the Euro? all the lasted things look/feel exactly the same!

Atleast with Pound sterling you can count how much money you have in your pocket without actually having to look!

Confused but excited. - 14/4/10 at 01:52 PM

quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74


When I were lad, 5p could buy you a night's stay in a cheap Bournemouth hotel.


To think that I thought I was old.
I can remember getting into the pictures for a 'tanner' (2.5p). Now you are lucky if you can do it for a tenner.

morcus - 14/4/10 at 04:11 PM

The reasons why they are sized as they are are quite complex but basically boil down to being worth the value of the metal itself a long time ago. I believe that the coin sizes for new money have something to do with the sizes of old money (Shillings look like 10p's).

I really like how our coinage is as said above, some systems (Most that I've experienced) you have to actually read through all the coins to fin out what they are. Also I've always thought that euro coins look and feel of a lower quality than sterling, same for NZ$, I've got a small pile of silver coins from NZ and they're all about the same size, some have indents on te sides. Why were you ordering up your money? If I had to I'd do it by value.

alistairolsen - 15/4/10 at 06:58 AM

I was just idly rearranging my pocket change in my hand standing in the que and thinking irrelevant thoughts