By the end of George V’s reign the threepence had become unpopular in England because of its small size but it remained popular in Scotland. It was consequently decided to introduce a more substantial ‘thru’penny bit’ which would have a more convenient weight/value ratio than the silver coinage.

• The silver threepence continued to be minted, however, as there may have been some uncertainty about how well the new coin would be accepted.
• In addition to this, silver threepences were still required in the British colonies.