A-Z 10p coins released April 2018 - in your change?

[Minoa]

New coins get hoarded; it's a problem.

Maybe if we made them really ugly, then they would get circulated?

SF author Larry Niven once too-seriously suggested making them out of nuclear waste: That money would circulate fast, and -- among other side-effects -- you'd be able to identify pickpockets by their lead-coated gloves...

New coins getting hoarded for collector reasons is a non-issue, otherwise the Royal Mint would have not be making commemorative coins in the first place, and the Bank of England would not have not been holding charity auctions for low serial AA01 banknotes.

[Vassenor]

We learn to distinguish them by shape and feel. In fact the coins are designed to be easy for blind and partially sighted individuals to tell apart.

Yup. As I said earlier, I have worked with foreign tourists and money in the past, and I have never known tourists to get confused about UK coinage. In fact, the only thing that often confuses them is why Scotland and England have banknotes that look completely different...

And the less said about whoever it was who managed to get a Mexican 50 peso coin into circulation that eventually my bus driver confused for a £2 when giving me change the better.

[The New California Republic]

Yup. As I said earlier, I have worked with foreign tourists and money in the past, and I have never known tourists to get confused about UK coinage. In fact, the only thing that often confuses them is why Scotland and England have banknotes that look completely different...

And the less said about whoever it was who managed to get a Mexican 50 peso coin into circulation that eventually my bus driver confused for a £2 when giving me change the better.

There are one or two other foreign coins that occasionally get mixed in with the UK coinage. One is the EU cent, you find that mixed in with bags of pennies fairly frequently. There are others, but for the life of me I can't remember what they are. I have occasionally seen American quarters mixed in with 10p bags.

[Vassenor]

And the less said about whoever it was who managed to get a Mexican 50 peso coin into circulation that eventually my bus driver confused for a £2 when giving me change the better.

There are one or two other foreign coins that occasionally get mixed in with the UK coinage. One is the EU cent, you find that mixed in with bags of pennies fairly frequently. There are others, but for the life of me I can't remember what they are. I have occasionally seen American quarters mixed in with 10p bags.

Also, my mistake. Ten Peso coin. It's been a few years since it happened.

[Minoa]

And the less said about whoever it was who managed to get a Mexican 50 peso coin into circulation that eventually my bus driver confused for a £2 when giving me change the better.

There are one or two other foreign coins that occasionally get mixed in with the UK coinage. One is the EU cent, you find that mixed in with bags of pennies fairly frequently. There are others, but for the life of me I can't remember what they are. I have occasionally seen American quarters mixed in with 10p bags.

Taking into account the tolerance (or tolerable variation in size), there are only so many coin sizes that design teams of all the mints in the world could choose, before inevitably overlapping each other’s choices.

[The New California Republic]

There are one or two other foreign coins that occasionally get mixed in with the UK coinage. One is the EU cent, you find that mixed in with bags of pennies fairly frequently. There are others, but for the life of me I can't remember what they are. I have occasionally seen American quarters mixed in with 10p bags.

Taking into account the tolerance (or tolerable variation in size), there are only so many coin sizes that design teams of all the mints in the world could choose, before inevitably overlapping each other’s choices.

Understandable in some circumstances, but the 10p and the American quarter both feel completely different. It's hard to describe, but the 10p feels shiny, whereas the American quarter has a much softer feel like velvet.

[Bears Armed]

We learn to distinguish them by shape and feel. In fact the coins are designed to be easy for blind and partially sighted individuals to tell apart.

Yup. As I said earlier, I have worked with foreign tourists and money in the past, and I have never known tourists to get confused about UK coinage. In fact, the only thing that often confuses them is why Scotland and England have banknotes that look completely different...

Northern Ireland has a note-issuing bank of its own as well, or did as "recently" as 1995 (when I saw some of its note) anyway...

[Minoa]

Yup. As I said earlier, I have worked with foreign tourists and money in the past, and I have never known tourists to get confused about UK coinage. In fact, the only thing that often confuses them is why Scotland and England have banknotes that look completely different...

Northern Ireland has a note-issuing bank of its own as well, or did as "recently" as 1995 (when I saw some of its note) anyway...

Ulster Bank is getting new banknotes next year. Northern Ireland banknotes remain alive and well, but in Great Britain it often gets banked and sent back to Northern Ireland before returning to circulation, depending on condition … or it ends up in someone’s banknote collection.

Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-44236965

[Forsher]

You literally cannot read the middle coin. It's 5p only by a process of elimination. Compare coins here or in Australia where the numbers receive prominence, not tiny little fonts on tiny little coins.

The UK sacrificed fitness of purpose for aesthetic concerns, and chose a dumb aesthetic in doing so (if it doesn't look cool on one coin, it doesn't look cool in practice).

Also, spoiler your image.

We learn to distinguish them by shape and feel. In fact the coins are designed to be easy for blind and partially sighted individuals to tell apart.

You know that this isn't the same as associating a different coin with a value, right?

I'm not rehashing this argument again. Far too many of you have failed at this very obvious hurdle. The thread is small, just read it.

[Vassenor]

We learn to distinguish them by shape and feel. In fact the coins are designed to be easy for blind and partially sighted individuals to tell apart.

You know that this isn't the same as associating a different coin with a value, right?

I'm not rehashing this argument again. Far too many of you have failed at this very obvious hurdle. The thread is small, just read it.

Your argument is that you cannot read the text on the coin. The response is that you don't need to.

[The New California Republic]

Yup. As I said earlier, I have worked with foreign tourists and money in the past, and I have never known tourists to get confused about UK coinage. In fact, the only thing that often confuses them is why Scotland and England have banknotes that look completely different...

Northern Ireland has a note-issuing bank of its own as well, or did as "recently" as 1995 (when I saw some of its note) anyway...

Most of the movement of foreign tourists is between England and Scotland, not between Northern Ireland and the aforementioned, which accounts for why the question is usually framed in that way.

[Forsher]

You know that this isn't the same as associating a different coin with a value, right?

I'm not rehashing this argument again. Far too many of you have failed at this very obvious hurdle. The thread is small, just read it.

Your argument is that you cannot read the text on the coin. The response is that you don't need to.

That's moronic. YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THE VALUES ARE. It doesn't matter how easy the coins are to distinguish if they're not associated with any denomination. Go and pick up a worm, a cockroach and a mouse. You can tell the difference between these easily, right? Cool. Now tell me which one I don't like the most. A fool's errand, right? Because you have no idea what value is attached to each of these animals.

[Vassenor]

Your argument is that you cannot read the text on the coin. The response is that you don't need to.

That's moronic. YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THE VALUES ARE. It doesn't matter how easy the coins are to distinguish if they're not associated with any denomination. Go and pick up a worm, a cockroach and a mouse. You can tell the difference between these easily, right? Cool. Now tell me which one I don't like the most. A fool's errand, right? Because you have no idea what value is attached to each of these animals.

And we know that Shape X means Value Y.

[The New California Republic]

Your argument is that you cannot read the text on the coin. The response is that you don't need to.

That's moronic. YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THE VALUES ARE. It doesn't matter how easy the coins are to distinguish if they're not associated with any denomination.

They are associated with a denomination, it is written on them for fuck's sake.

[USS Monitor]

I didn't think the coins were that confusing when I visited the UK.

[The New California Republic]

I didn't think the coins were that confusing when I visited the UK.

To be honest it is a mountain out of a molehill. I have never heard any locals or any tourists complaining about it.

[Vassenor]

That's moronic. YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THE VALUES ARE. It doesn't matter how easy the coins are to distinguish if they're not associated with any denomination.

They are associated with a denomination, it is written on them for fuck's sake.

Here is a standard UK ten pence coin, photographed at approximately two to two and a half feet away.

Notice how the TEN PENCE "tiny font" is still legible.

[The New California Republic]

Here is a standard UK ten pence coin, photographed at approximately two to two and a half feet away.

Notice how the TEN PENCE "tiny font" is still legible.

I am actually scrutinizing your DVD collection rather than the coin. Perhaps a blank background would have been better?

[The South Falls]

Here is a standard UK ten pence coin, photographed at approximately two to two and a half feet away.

Notice how the TEN PENCE "tiny font" is still legible.

I am actually scrutinizing your DVD collection rather than the coin. Perhaps a blank background would have been better?

It's pretty good. Worth a little more than ten pence, but I'll take it.

[Vassenor]

Here is a standard UK ten pence coin, photographed at approximately two to two and a half feet away.

Notice how the TEN PENCE "tiny font" is still legible.

I am actually scrutinizing your DVD collection rather than the coin. Perhaps a blank background would have been better?

=3=

[Forsher]

That's moronic. YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT THE VALUES ARE. It doesn't matter how easy the coins are to distinguish if they're not associated with any denomination. Go and pick up a worm, a cockroach and a mouse. You can tell the difference between these easily, right? Cool. Now tell me which one I don't like the most. A fool's errand, right? Because you have no idea what value is attached to each of these animals.

And we know that Shape X means Value Y.

You do.

[The Two Jerseys]

Here is a standard UK ten pence coin, photographed at approximately two to two and a half feet away.

Notice how the TEN PENCE "tiny font" is still legible.

I am actually scrutinizing your DVD collection rather than the coin. Perhaps a blank background would have been better?

Good, I wasn't the only one!

Anyway, the denomination looks like it's written in the same size as the "FIVE CENTS" text on the US nickel, and I can read that at an arm's length away, so I don't see what the issue is. Honestly, I think that coin series is a stupid design and the previous series was better (and a bit easier to read the denomination...), but it's not like you can't make out how much the coin is worth.

Now, if you really want confusing, nowhere on the US dime does it say that the coin is worth 10 cents...

[Vassenor]

And we know that Shape X means Value Y.

You do.

And so apparently do the tourists given what everyone else has said.

[Risottia]

Apart from coins in collectors issues - have any of you had them in your change?

Aye.

/do people still use coins in this day and age? asks BN- Depends if I'm human- I use notes too(shock horror)/

I use plastic whenever possible, but sometimes I'm forced to use coins and notes.

[USS Monitor]

You do.

And so apparently do the tourists given what everyone else has said.

Any time you travel to a new country, there's a bit of squinting at your change going, "Wait, what's this coin?" and looking at price tags going, "OK, but what does that number really mean?"

But there's nothing uniquely British about the issue. Soles, Euros, and RMB are just as confusing as pounds if you are fresh off the plane and don't know what the different denominations look like yet.