Coins of the pound sterling coins' designs. As of 31 March 2016, there were an estimated 30.14 billion coins circulating in the United Kingdom. The first decimal coins were circulated in 1968. These were the five pence (5p) and ten pence (10p), and had values of one shilling (1/-) and two shillings (2/-), respectively, under the pre-decimal £sd system. The decimal coins are minted in copper-plated steel (previously bronze), nickel-plated steel, cupronickel and nickel-brass. The two-pound coins, and, as from 28 March 2017 the new one-pound coins, are bimetallic. The coins are discs, except for the twenty pence and fifty pence pieces, both of which
Decimal time He also suggested a week of 10 days and dividing the year into 10 "solar months". Decimal time was officially introduced during the French Revolution. Jean-Charles de Borda made a proposal for decimal time on November 5, 1792. The National Convention issued a decree on 5 October 1793: These parts were named on 24 November 1793 (4 Frimaire of the Year II). The primary divisions were called hours, and they added: Thus, midnight was called either "dix heures" (10 o'clock) or "zero heures" (0 o'clock), noon was called "cinq heures" (5 o'clock), etc. Units were either written out or abbreviated,