Letter: Spare an iron

Sir: Quite by chance I discovered the seemingly little-known fact that 1p and 2p British coins, minted in 1992 and after, are magnetic, whereas those minted earlier are not. Presumably the latter were of a copper alloy whilst the magnetic ones contain a fair proportion of iron.

Iron is rather cheaper than copper, so the currency is, in a sense, debased. Beggars should ask folk to spare an iron, rather than a copper. And why the fuss about a single European currency, when our own is not what it used to be?

Dr JAMES HUTCHISON

Birmingham