The 1964 film "Mary Poppins" features two British large penny coins, known as "tuppence", which are part of the story and appear in a song sung by the main character. The film is set in 1910, and was based on the "Mary Poppins" books were written by P. L. Travers and illustrated by Mary Shepard. The film stars Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins, a nanny who is hired by the parents of two children to take care of them, and Dick Van Dyke as her friend Bert. The song "Feed the Birds" ("Tuppence a Bag") was written by Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman who wrote most of the songs for the film. The British pennies displayed in the film are from the reign of King Edward VII (1901-1910).

The film starts with an aerial view of London in 1910.

Mary Poppins, the magical nanny, gets ready for her next assignment.

She receives a letter from the children of Mr. and Mrs. Banks requesting a nanny and goes to meet the parents.

Mr. Banks is a stiff conservative banker and Mrs. Banks is a suffragette, working for women's rights, including the right to vote.

She has the letter the children wrote, which the father thought he had destroyed.

She finds that the children are "naughty" sometimes. Mary Poppins likes birds and sings to them.

Birds will figure more importantly in the story later.

Just a coincidence, of course. Mary Poppins couldn't be that old. She has a friend Bert who is a street artist, and later a chimney sweep.

Bert has his cap out for "coppers", or British copper coins.

The coins appear to be Edward VII pennies. The father thinks that Mary Poppins is not preparing the children for life, and she agrees and works him around to taking the children to his bank, sort of a 1910 version of "take your kids to work day." Mary Poppins sings the song "Feed the Birds" to the children, the song is about giving.

During the song, the "Bird Woman" appears, she sits on the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral selling bags of bird food for tuppence (two pence) a bag. The British pound was worth then US five dollars, there were 240 pence (pennies) to the pound. Therefore "tuppence" would have been worth around four US cents.

The song and it's message put the children in the correct frame of mind for their visit to the bank. Next morning Mr. Banks takes the kids to his bank. The bank is the "Dawes, Tomes, Mousely, Grubbs Fidelity Fiduciary Bank."

Michael has two pence, and as they pass the Bird Woman, Michael wants to "feed the birds." His father ridicules the idea and they continue to the bank. They arrive at the bank and are met by the board of directors. Mr. Banks asks Michael to show them what is in his hand.

The board members, especially the senior member Mr. Dawes, greedily eye Michael's tuppence.

The bankers advise Michael to "invest" his tuppence in the bank.

The banker is able to grab the coins.

Micheal screams for his money, the customers outside hear the noise, and they start withdrawing their money, causing a panic and a "run on the bank."

Michael and Jane escape the confusion and head home. They are met by Bert, Mary Poppins, and Bert's chimney sweep friends for a long musical number set on the rooftops of London. Bert explains to the children about how hard their father works for them. Back at home, they meet their father, and Michael, unhappy with the trouble he has caused, gives his tuppence to his father.

Mr. Banks receives a telephone call from the bank board requesting his presence. He knows that he will be "sacked" or discharged.

Mr. Banks enters the chamber which is set up almost like a military court-martial.

The senior banker explains that the bank has not such a disgrace since they financed a shipment of tea to America in 1773 (destroyed during the "Boston Tea Party"). The board cashiers (dishonorably discharges) Mr. Banks; one banker punches a hole in his bowler hat, the symbol of a banker.

Mr. Banks, having lost his position, makes sarcastic jokes to the bankers, quotes Mary Poppins' favorite word, and shows them the tuppence.

The tuppence are finally ready for their close-up:

The coins are two large worn British pennies, one showing King Edward VII (1901-1910)

A British Penny of King Edward VII:

Bronze, 30.8 mm, 9.45 gm

Mr. Banks angrily waves the tuppence around frightening the bankers.

Things end happily for Mr. Banks the next morning, he takes his wife and children out to fly kites, and meets the bankers who have taken his advice, they inform him that the senior Mr. Dawes "died happy" and offer him his position back and a promotion.

Mary Poppins had told the children that she would stay only until the wind changes. The wind changes and she gets ready to leave.

Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins
Dick Van Dyke as Bert and Mr. Dawes Senior (the old banker)
David Tomlinson as Mr. Banks
Glynis Johns as Mrs. Banks
Karen Dotrice as Jane Banks
Matthew Garber as Michael Banks
Jane Darwell as The Bird Woman
Director: Robert Stevenson
Writers: Bill Walsh, Don DaGradi