How much was a threepence worth in 1970 in American money?

Answer 1

A Threepence is a denomination of the old predecimal British currency system and dates back to the time of Edward VI. The Threepenny coin was also used by many other Commonwealth countries.

From 1831, the Threepence was made from 92.5% silver, but from 1920 onwards, the silver content was reduced to 50%.

From 1937, the British Threepence was redesigned as a dodecagonal (12 sided) coin and was made from a nickel brass alloy. The 50% silver coin and the dodecagonal coin circulated side by side until 1945.

Since 1816, the round silver Threepence was 16 mm in diameter and weighed 1.4138 grams and had a plain edge, and was last minted in 1945.

The dodecagonal (12 sided) nickel brass Threepence was 21-22 mm in diameter and weighed 6.8 grams and had a plain edge. It was first minted in 1937 and last minted in 1967.

A Threepenny coin represented Three Pennies (3d) or, quarter of a Shilling.

It was also known to many as the "thrupenny bit" and the sum of three pence was pronounced "throopence" "threppence" or "thruppence" in various regions of Great Britain.

At Britains conversion to decimal currency in February, 1971, the Threepence had no new decimal equivalent coin, but was equal to 1.25 New Pence in the new currency.

The Threepence ceased to be Legal Tender after 31-Aug-1971.

From a coin collectors perspective, a Threepence, depending on the year, condition and method of minting, could be worth anything from a few pence to several thousand pounds GBP.

Please note that since the Threepence is part of a redundant or obsolete currency, it no longer has an "exchange rate" with other currencies.

Answer 2

Threepence is an obsolete denomination used in Britain (and some other countries) under the "₤sd" system (which stands for "pounds - shillings - pence"). Under that system, there were 20 Shillings to a Pound and 12 Pennies (or Pence) to the Shilling. A threepence was thus 1/4 of a Shilling, or 1/80 of a Pound.

The Pound is now decimalised (as is the Australian Dollar, the South African Rand, and most other currencies that previously used Shilling and Pence), so a British Threepence would equate to 1.25p under the current system (or a bit under 2 US cents at the current exchange rates).

This is all a bit academic, however, as the Threepence denomination was demonetised in Britain in 1969. In any case, the numismatic value (or even metal value) is almost certainly higher.

Answer 3

Threepence GBP in 1970 had the purchasing power of about £0.13 GBP today.

Threepence GBP in 1970 had the purchasing power of about $0.21 USD today.

NOTE - This historical conversion is the result of many calculations and considerations by a purpose designed program for which I can take no credit. The resulting answer should only be regarded as an approximation.