[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: speaking of british speak -- question re: money

[Marita Jan]

--- richard_smedley <richard at sc.lug.org.uk> wrote:

> Hi there,
> 
> Before decimalisation there were 20 shillings in a pound.
> A guinea is 21 shillings. (iow a guinea is worth 5 per cent
> more than a pound.)
> 
> Guineas are still used in a few places such as the bloodstock
> market - and for racing prizes. In my local pub, if a round
> came to, say, GBP10.50, the barman would probably ask for
> ten guineas - but I know of no other barman who does this.
> 
> The Guinea was actually a gold coin issued in the 17th and
> 18th centuries. It's value varied with the price of gold until
> it was fixed, early in the 18th century, at 21 bob (shillings).
> A pound coin was called a sovereign, whereas pound notes are 
> referred to as quids.
> 
> A shilling was made up of 12 pence, which meant that money
> used to be so much easier to divide up between various
> numbers of people than this decimal nonsense with which
> we've been saddled :-/
> 
>  - Richard
> (Still suffering from an unexpected 600 feet climb at the 
> weekend, because I hadn't noticed that the guide book was 
> in metres =^/  )
> 


Um....thanks?  Although I think I'm more confused now than I was at the
start!  :-)


MJ


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