Money helps us swap things fairly. When you buy something, you give the shopkeeper money, and they may give some back. Let's learn the coins and notes we use every day.
Why this matters: Knowing your coins and change keeps you fair and careful with money. A careful person is not cheated, and does not cheat others.
The coins we use
In the UK we have these coins:
| Coin | Value |
|---|---|
| Penny | 1p |
| Two pence | 2p |
| Five pence | 5p |
| Ten pence | 10p |
| Twenty pence | 20p |
| Fifty pence | 50p |
| One pound | £1 |
| Two pounds | £2 |
Put these coins in order, smallest value first:
- 1p
- 10p
- 50p
- £1
Notes and 100 pennies
Notes are paper (or plastic) money for bigger amounts — the smallest are £5 and £10. There are 100 pennies (100p) in one pound (£1), so 50p and 50p together make £1.
Making the same amount in different ways
You can make 20p in lots of ways.
Make 20p:
• one 20p coin
• two 10p coins (10p + 10p = 20p)
• four 5p coins (5p + 5p + 5p + 5p = 20p)
• one 20p coin
• two 10p coins (10p + 10p = 20p)
• four 5p coins (5p + 5p + 5p + 5p = 20p)
Working out change
Change is the money you get back when you pay more than something costs — take the price away from what you pay.
A pencil costs 30p. You pay with 50p.
50p − 30p = 20p change.
50p − 30p = 20p change.