Snip Snap

Published February 15, 2012 Updated July 10, 2023

Decimal Snap created by Eric Wagstaff, published by Michael Stanfield Holdings, London 1968.

1968 United Kingdom Michael Stanfield Eric Wagstaff Currency Card Games Snap
Snip Snap, the Decimal Currency Game box

Decimal Snap created by Eric Wagstaff,  published by Michael Stanfield Holdings in 1968

Michael Stanfield was a publisher of children's books (Rupert Bear, etc.) and games (jig-saw puzzles, Nine Men's Morris, Bridge sets, etc.) in the late 1960s, 70s and early 80s. ‘Snip Snap’, the Decimal Currency game, was played like Snap and aimed to familiarize players with the new decimal coinage and monetary values. Half of the pack shows sums of money in old English currency whilst the other half shows the same amounts in new (decimal) currency. Players call “snap” when cards showing the same amount are played. The rules are briefly described on the box and on the back of the Conversion Tables, whilst a leaflet enclosed with the cards explains the schedule of events during the changeover to decimal currency (click images to zoom)

See also:  Change for a Shilling

Snip Snap, the Decimal Currency Game, 1968

Above: Decimal Snap created by Eric Wagstaff, published by Michael Stanfield Holdings, London 1968. . A total of 48 cards: 24 cards arranged in 12 sets of 2 to show `old money' 1.2d, 2.4d, 4.8d, 1/-, 2/-, 2/6d, 3/-, 4/-, 5/-, 10/-, 15/-, £1; 24 cards arranged in 12 sets of 2 to show `new money', ½p, 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 12½p, 15p, 20p, 25p, 50p, 75p, 100p. Additional cards showing conversion table between old and new money.

Note: The abbreviation for the old penny, d, was derived from the Roman ‘denarius’, and the abbreviation for the shilling, s, from the Roman ‘solidus’. The shilling was also denoted by the slash symbol / , also called a solidus for this reason and used today in website addresses, which was originally an adaptation of the long s.

Below Left: the back design, a Decimal Currency Conversion Table and rules. The rules were also provided on folded card, printed on both sides: one side green, one side the rules. Right: leaflet enclosed with the cards explaining the schedule of events during the changeover to decimal currency (click images to zoom)

Snip Snap, the Decimal Currency Game, 1968
leaflet enclosed with Snip Snap game explaining the schedule of events during the changeover to decimal currency
avatar
1,484 Articles

By Simon Wintle

Member since February 01, 1996

I am the founder of The World of Playing Cards (est. 1996), a website dedicated to the history, artistry and cultural significance of playing cards and tarot. Over the years I have researched various areas of the subject, acquired and traded collections and contributed as a committee member of the IPCS and graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal. Having lived in Chile, England, Wales, and now Spain, these experiences have shaped my work and passion for playing cards. Amongst my achievements is producing a limited-edition replica of a 17th-century English pack using woodblocks and stencils—a labour of love. Today, the World of Playing Cards is a global collaborative project, with my son Adam serving as the technical driving force behind its development. His innovative efforts have helped shape the site into the thriving hub it is today. You are warmly invited to become a contributor and share your enthusiasm.

Related Articles

1996 Boddingtons Bitter playing cards

Boddingtons Bitter playing cards

Cool-looking courts advertising Boddingtons Bitter, originally brewed in Manchester.

1999 OXO Faces of the Millennium Dinner

OXO Faces of the Millennium Dinner

Twentieth-century personalities promoting a millennium dinner at the Oxo Tower in London.

1991 Kids Fun Box playing cards

Kids Fun Box playing cards

Colourful cards for children with four non-standard suits connected with the natural world.

1980 Tangle Foot Ale

Tangle Foot Ale

Badger Brewery Tangle Foot strong ale advertising pack.

1891 Scientific Whist

Scientific Whist

“Scientific Whist” : standard cards with instructions for play on the faces by Chas Goodall & Son, 1...

1985 Agent Provocateur

Agent Provocateur

Branded lingerie collection in a pack of pin-up playing cards.

2021 Nimbus playing cards

Nimbus playing cards

Mike Steer’s weather-themed pack with suits in four colours and backs for cardistry.

2025 Agatha Christie and Playing Cards revisited

Agatha Christie and Playing Cards revisited

Agatha Christie uses card-play as a primary focus of a story, and as a way of creating plots and mot...

2006 The Decadent Deck

The Decadent Deck

Studies in the eroticism of the female body by Inge Clayton.

1893 Historic Shakespeare

Historic Shakespeare

“Historic Shakespeare” playing cards featuring Shakespearean characters by Chas Goodall & Son.

1925 Copechat Paramount Sorting System

Copechat Paramount Sorting System

Preserving the past: a specimen deck showcasing edge-notched cards and their ingenious sorting syste...

1893 Heartsette by Herbert Fitch & Co, 1893

Heartsette by Herbert Fitch & Co, 1893

A glimpse into a busy print and design office in late Victorian London.

1926 Rap Rummy

Rap Rummy

Rap Rummy made by Parker Brothers in 1926, only 4 years after the discovery of King Tutankhamen’s to...

1989 Batman® playing cards

Batman® playing cards

Batman playing cards published by InterCol of London 1989.

1984 Can You Believe Your Eyes?

Can You Believe Your Eyes?

“Can You Believe Your Eyes?” playing cards featuring visual illusions & other oddities.

1910 Pastime Playing Cards for the Blind

Pastime Playing Cards for the Blind

The “Pastime” Playing Cards for the Blind manufactured by Goodall & Son Limd., c.1910.