Australian pound became $1 and 1s became 10c. The conversion rate was problematic for the pre-decimal penny since the shilling was divided into twelve pence. An exchange rate of $2.40:£1 would have allowed for accurate conversion down to the penny, with one penny becoming one cent; however, the Government thought it more important that the new currency unit be more valuable than the United States dollar which it would not have been under a 2.4:1 ratio. Amounts less than a shilling were converted as follows: In 1855, gold full and half sovereigns (worth respectively one pound sterling and ten shillings) were first
Currency Act 1982 It is still in force unamended. Currency Act 1982 The Currency Act 1982 (c 3) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Following Decimal Day in 1971, when the British monetary system changed from pound/shilling/penny to the metric £1 = 100p system, the new currency was known as the "new pound" and therefore the "new pence". By 1982, the use of "new pence" was out of use, and replaced with "penny". The Act sanctions the use of "penny" rather than "new penny" in common usage, such as on coins produced by the Royal Mint. The Act covers