Decimal Day use pennies or threepenny pieces, to pay them in multiples of 6d (p, the lowest common multiple of the two systems). Bus companies (at that time many state-owned by the National Bus Company) were another exception, going decimal on Sunday 21 February. Decimal Day itself went smoothly. Criticisms included the small size of the new halfpenny coin and the fact that some traders had taken advantage of the transition to raise prices. Some used new pennies as sixpences in vending machines. After 15 February, shops continued to accept payment in old coins, but always issued change in new coins. The
Commemorative coins of the United Kingdom the decimal era, crowns were converted to twenty-five pence. 50p and recent £2 Coins circulate normally and can be found in change. Usually about 5 million of each of these are the commemorative issue, the rest being of the standard design. Since 1982 all of these have also been produced as Sterling silver and 22 carat Gold proofs. Although the design of the £1 Coin changes every year, these are not considered to be commemoratives, as they do not mark an event or its anniversary. Twenty-five pence Non-circulated Circulated Commemorative coins of the United Kingdom Commemorative coins have been issued