Posted on 03/06/2009 12:29:45 PM PST by franksolich
It was some years that I sat at the bar of a rural pub in southeastern England; a night in mid-winter when it was dark both outside and within, culling through piles of coins I had laid on the bar.
Decimalization of British currency had occurred some years before, but the old one-shilling and two-shilling (12 pence and 24 pence, respectively) coins were still monetized, serving as 5 pence and 10 pence pieces under the new system.
I was looking for those, and much to my gratification, finding many of them; even silver ones, even a few pieces dating back to Edward VII and Victoria.
An old gentleman looked wistfully at what I was doing.
"They don't make money like they used to," I commented.
The old gentleman fondly recalled the old American-half-dollar-sized copper pennies, with the formidable Britannia on the reverse, and the American-quarter-dollar-sized half-pennies with a ship on its reverse.
"They wanted it simpler, but all we got out of it was inflation," the old gentleman commented.
Yes, I replied; everybody wants things simpler, but it comes at a price.
"The old system of four farthings to the penny, twelve pennies to the shilling, five shillings to the crown, four crowns to the pound, 21 shillings to the guinea, and those in-between half-pennies, threepence, sixpence, and double shillings (florins), well, if one can't figure that out, one shouldn't be dealing with money.
"Especially spending it."
(Excerpt) Read more at conservativecave.com ...
Ping for the whatever list. Thanks for your attention!
I knew there was a reason I like the dollar and the American system.
Love that coroner putting one over on the city “kids.”
Happy Birthday to you! The story is wonderful, thanks for putting it up.
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