20/01/2012
Parking metres might not like new coins
Planning on getting rid of some loose change in the parking metre? You might not manage.
From this month, lots of new 5p and 10p coins are going to be churned out of the Royal Mint, but they will be slightly thicker than the old versions so they may not fit into certain machines.
Annoying? Yes.
It’s all part of a Government money-saving scheme which will apparently save the Treasury somewhere in the region of £7 million to £8 million a year. The catch is that its estimated cost for councils and industry will be about £80 million over a two year period.
The old coins are made of a copper and nickel alloy but the new ones will be made of steel, which is cheaper since the cost of copper and nickel has increased.
Our pockets may soon be overflowing with five and ten pence coins that won’t fit anywhere.
From this month, lots of new 5p and 10p coins are going to be churned out of the Royal Mint, but they will be slightly thicker than the old versions so they may not fit into certain machines. Annoying? Yes.
It’s all part of a Government money-saving scheme which will apparently save the Treasury somewhere in the region of £7 million to £8 million a year. The catch is that its estimated cost for councils and industry will be about £80 million over a two year period.
The old coins are made of a copper and nickel alloy but the new ones will be made of steel, which is cheaper since the cost of copper and nickel has increased.
Our pockets may soon be overflowing with five and ten pence coins that won’t fit anywhere.
Photo © millermz via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence
Labels: 10p, 5p, coin, copper, loose change, nickel, parking metre, Royal Mint, steel
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