I'm just old enough to remember the predecimal age. I always thought the coins had a character decimal ones lacked. My grandfather told me of the 1933 penny and that they were worth about £30,000 each, so I would always search my change diligently until February 1971. The Senate building of the University of London was also the inspiration for The Ministry of Truth, in George Orwell's 1984, so I'd check out Big Brother. Perhaps he's got the missing coins.