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In the United States, it required a Civil War to resolve an issue like this. Not recommending this is a good solution for the EU, however.
Seriously, did GBR really think going back to Pounds, and Shillings was worth this hassle?
The UK never adopted the euro.
Wikipedia: “As a member of the European Union, the United Kingdom could have adopted the euro as its currency. However, the subject was always politically controversial, and the UK negotiated an opt-out on this issue.”
Although shillings went the way in 1990, after they decimalised their currency.
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The thing is, when Henning asks who would change their vote, about 5 people out of 50 raise their hands. That’s a 10% swing. Even if the one dude in front changed from “Remain” to “Leave”, if the referendum changed by that proportion it would be a rout by the Remainers against Brexit.
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Try 1971.
Although old shilling coins were kept around for a while, they were functionally identical to five pence coins, and 2 shilling coins became ten pence coins. No more were made after 1970.
There is a reactionary element in the UK who favour a return to LSD and imperial measurements, there is a belief that the redesign of the pound coin was to placate them as it resembled the defunct thruppence coin. Brexit may have the effect of making it worth about the same as post-decimalisation 3p used to be too.
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Wow so surprising they rejected that flaming turd. Now if only we could reject ours in the US.
We haven’t rejected it yet. All we have done is hold two years of debates and votes where we have failed to come to an agreement of what to do about it, while the turd continues to burn and stink the place out.
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Keep reading Wikipedia’s article about the British shilling::
“Decimal Day was set for 15 February 1971, and a whole range of new coins were introduced. Shillings continued to be legal tender with a value of 5 new pence until 31 December 1990.”
Anyway…this cynical American would be happy to trade you our flaming turds for yours. At least yours support universal health care – or at least, have no intention of doing away with it.
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I wish. The NHS has been under constant attack by the Conservatives for at least the last 40 years, they just can’t abolish it yet if they want people to keep voting for them.
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rant:
/rant
Now, as rants do, this doesn’t change an thing.
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Which means Shillings weren’t Shillings anymore, but fancy 5p coins.
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And the Irish nationalist movement was historically led by Protestants. (It had to be, as the civil and economic restrictions on Catholics meant that for a long time the Irish political class was almost entirely Protestant.)
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While we’re discussing Irish history…
That is indeed a suggestion that has been made. The EU would of course require a border from the Irish side but in this scenario, that is the EU being the big bad so that’s fine.
The proponents of this wizard wheeze do not see this as a problem since they are also rabid Free Traders.
Their position is that we don’t impose any tariffs or trade barriers at all. No preferential access, no problem with the WTO, so hurrah! Trebles all round.
The fact that these people are all looking forward to massive payouts from, for example, US agriculture and ‘health’ industries is entirely by the by.
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As a kid, I was fascinated with the old 10p coins that were still labelled “ONE FLORIN”.
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Which on at least one occasion led to an armed standoff with the Irish Army:
Background
…
On 28 October 1971, a confrontation took place between British and Irish troops at a cross-border bridge between the Republic and Northern Ireland, at the village of Munnelly, between counties Fermanagh and Monaghan. A British patrol was laying explosive charges to destroy the bridge, as part of an effort to destroy bridges and roads being used by the Provisional IRA to import arms and supplies from the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland. A Garda Síochána officer stated that the bridge was at least half in the Republic, and the British Army officer on the scene disputed this. The Irish Army then deployed a unit of soldiers armed with H&K MP5 submachine guns, and its commander demanded that the British Army surrender their explosives. Following a 90-minute standoff, the British Army withdrew.
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Also, sixpences, which would buy you 5 Mojo chews.
How is Brexit like slavery?
Also, as it stands, the UK never adopted the Euro… they still have their own currency.
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Now that is before my time. Though I do remember seeing a photo of some coin-operated turnstiles priced at 2½p, and thinking “there’s a 2½p coin??”.
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