[TR] Brit Money Definition

[wbeech at flash.net]

Tim,
So when will Britain get to the Euro?

BTW, you can explain Loonies & Toonnies while you are at it.

Thanks for the primer,
Bill

 

-----Original Message-----
From: triumphs-bounces at autox.team.net
[mailto:triumphs-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of
KingsCreekTrees at aol.com
Sent: Saturday, October 24, 2009 7:11 PM
To: wsb1960tr3a at att.net; triumphs at autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [TR] Brit Money Definition

Right. Here we go with the big monetary explanation:
 
Britain went to decimalised currency in 1970. Thereafter, there was only
pounds and pence (or pennies). 100 pence to a pound.
 
Prior to this, Britain's currency was a far easier system that everyone
could understand, especially overseas tourists:
 
Four farthings to a penny.
Two halfpennies (but pronounced "Hay penny") to a penny.
12 pennies to a shilling ("bob" is slang for shilling) Two sixpences (a coin
known as a "Tanner") to a shilling five shillings to a Crown.
20 shillings to a pound ("quid" is slang for a pound)
21 shillings to a guinea.
 
Items were priced thus: 5/-  That means five shillings (commonly  referred
to as 'five bob')
                                   5/ 6 1/2d That means five shillings,
sixpence hay-penny.
 
Naturally, this system aided cashiers throughout the country when making
change, especially as cashiers did not have the machines that told them how
much  change they should give. So, if for example you bought something for
twelve  shillings and five pence hay penny and you gave the cashier 15 bob,
how much  change would you expect?
 
The answer, of course, is two shillings, sixpence hay penny. But you knew
that, didn't you? See what a marvellously simple system this is? In fact, so
simple is it that I once followed by grandfather into a store in 1971, where
he  purchased an item for 62 pence. His immediate reaction was "What's that
in Old  Money?" Can anyone guess???? Fingers on buzzers: It's 11 shillings
exactly.
 
Now that you know everything about Britain's earlier monetary system, you
can all play fun games with working out change and asking each other how
much  certain things cost. Off you go then.
 
Tim
 
 
Tim Dyer,  Proprietor
Kings Creek Trees and Ornamentals
427 Kings Creek Road,  RR3
Ashton, Ontario, K0A 1B0, Canada
Phone/fax: 613 253 4126 Website: _www.kingscreektrees.com_
(http://www.kingscreektrees.com/) 

Proud  member of Landscape Ontario (the Ontario association of Horticulture
Industry  professionals), the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association and
Christmas Tree  Farmers of Ontario
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