Decimalisation: Boxes with old coins helping dementia patients

Memory boxes filled with coins from pre-decimalisation have been sent to hundreds of care homes as part of a day marking 50 years since the UK made the switch to its new currency.

On 14 February 1971, there were 12 pennies to the shilling and 20 shillings to the pound. The following day the pound was made up of 100 new pence.

As part of the anniversary, Belmont House in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, was among those to get the reminiscing boxes featuring the retro coins.

A worker at the home, Joanne Griffiths, said the response was "magical" and the boxes helped "evoke such a response" among the people living there.

15 February 2021