General   (General discussion, talk about anything.)

"Silver" Threepence

The silver three pence coin (expressed in writing as "3d") first appeared in England during the reign of King Edward VI (1547–1553). But it was unpopular as many preferred the four pence piece (known as a "groat") and there were times when it was not minted. During the reign of king George V (1910–1936) the silver content was reduced from sterling silver to a mixture of silver (50%),copper, and nickel and the design was completely changed in 1927 to three oak sprigs with three acorns and a "G" in the centre. By the end of George V's reign the threepence had become somewhat unpopular in England because of its small size, but it remained popular in Scotland. It may be that the custom of putting threepence coins (wrapped in greaseproof paper) into Christmas cakes may have contributed to its continued popularity! A nickel-brass threepence took over the bulk of the production of the denomination, being produced in all years between 1937 and 1952 except 1947. Only small numbers were produced

http://www.rampantscotland.com/know/blknow_pre_decimal.htm