No twopenny- halfpenny matter
Sir: The arrogantly unhelpful at- titude of the banks and retail trad- ers in asserting that the sixpence will rapidly disappear as there is `no place for it in a decimal system' —despite the Currency Board's de- cision to retain it for 'at least two years'—should be vigorously op- posed.
The coin's usefulness and popu- larity, was so evident that the pub- lic outcry at its proposed disappear- ance resulted in the Government's decision to retain it.
A plea that the 2ip has no place in a decimal system is patently non- sensical. Probably the most useful and popular coin in Portugal is the 21 escudo (approximately 4p). As our oldest ally has done us the honour of adopting our phone kiosks and police uniforms we may well reciprocate by insisting on a 2.50p—our present sixpence. Meanwhile the hasty conversion of phone call boxes is a foolish move. The new minimum charge of 2p represent a loss to the Post Office of 1p on each call: hardly an intelligent change for an authority in a parlous financial situation. Patrick Partridge 7 Dudley Road, Wimbledon, Lon- don sw19
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