Sixty years ago, on 14 February 1966, Australia made the change to decimal currency. The old currency of pounds, shillings and pence, based on the British system, was exchanged for currency based on the number 10. While a shilling had the same value as the new 10 cents, there were 12, not 10, pennies in a shilling. Although decimal currency simplified calculations, at first many Australians found the decimal system hard to grasp. Acceptance of the new system involved a huge public campaign, the conversion of cash registers, and training for banking and retail staff.