£. s. d. May Go Out Sooner

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31118, 22 July 1966, Page 11

£. s. d. May Go Out Sooner

(Special Crspdt. N.Z P.A ) I SYDNEY, July 21. I Australians may finally say goodbye to pounds, shillings and pence in August next year—six months ahead of schedule. After five months of decimal currency £5, £1 and 10s banknotes are already a very rare sight, and the decimal currency board said this week that it expected all £ s. d. coins to be completely withdrawn by August, 1967. The board said it was well ahead of its schedule to convert completely to dollars and

cents by February, 1968. There are already sufficient ,one and two-cent coins—the 'most vital in the change-over I—in circulation, and the i Royal Australian Mint in

[Canberra is stepping up pro- : duction of sc, 10c and 20c coins. When Australia adopted decimal currency on February 14, no actual date was set for the complete withdrawal of £ s. d. coins, but officials said two years of dual opera- ■ tion would probably be nei cessary. When the board is satisfied that there are enough decimal coins in circulation the Fed- > eral Government will pro- ■ claim a date after which ’ pounds, shillings and pence ■ will no longer be legal tender. I Hastening in the machine •conversion programme has I also increased the possibility

of an earlier total changeover. The board estimates that every machine in the country will have been converted to decimals by August next year.