Decimal Currency Act 1969

1 Legal tender

(1) Coins made by the Mint in accordance with section 2 of the [1967 c. 47.] Decimal Currency Act 1967 or in accordance with the Coinage Acts 1870 to 1946 and not called in by proclamation under paragraph (5) of section 11 of the [1870 c. 10.] Coinage Act 1870 shall be legal tender as follows, that is to say—

(a) coins of cupro-nickel or silver of denominations of more than ten new pence or two shillings, for payment of any amount not exceeding ten pounds ;

(b) coins of cupro-nickel or silver of denominations of not more than ten new pence or two shillings, for payment of any amount not exceeding five pounds ;

(c) coins of bronze, for payment of any amount not exceeding twenty new pence or four shillings.

(2) In the foregoing subsection " coins of bronze " includes threepences of mixed metal.

(3) Subject to subsection (6) of this section and to any direction given by virtue of section 15(5) of this Act, coins of the old currency other than gold coins shall not be legal tender after the end of the transitional period.

(4) For the purpose of being used for any payment in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this section a coin of either the old or the new currency may be treated as being a current coin of the other currency of equal value.

(5) The powers exercisable by proclamation by virtue of section 11 of the [1870 c. 10.] Coinage Act 1870 shall include power to direct that any coins of the new currency made by the Mint in accordance with section 2 of the [1967 c. 47.] Decimal Currency Act 1967 other than coins of cupro-nickel, silver or bronze shall be current and be legal tender for payment of any amount not exceeding such amount (not greater than ten pounds) as may be specified in the proclamation.

(6) For the purposes of this section silver coins of the Queen's Maundy money made in accordance with section 3 of the Coinage Act 1870 shall be treated as made in accordance with section 2 of the Decimal Currency Act 1967 and, if issued before the appointed day, shall be treated as denominated in the same number of new pence as the number of pence in which they were denominated.