A Request for Our British Members

[Grand_Admiral_Thrawn]

I've recently taken a liking to a series of novels set in the late 18th/early 19th century that focusses on the the British Navy of the time (Patric O'Brian's Maturin/Aubrey novels). There is, however, a concept that I am getting a little lost on, however, and I was hoping someone could explain this for me. There is much talk of money, and I can't quite keep up with it, since I have no idea what order the currency denominations progress in. I am assuming that a Guinea is the largest denominations (with a value of One pound and one shilling), but I also know that they haven't been issued since 1813. So, if some one could please explain to me how this all works I would be most obliged.

[Trejiuvanat]

I'm not a brit, but I did have probs with the confusing british money denominations while reading some books in the past.

 

I found this rough summary:

 

The pound sterling ("pound," or "quid") is the base unit (the term originally referred to a troy pound weight of sterling silver). Prior to the decimalization of British currency in 1971, there were 240 pennies (or "pence") to the pound. A ha'penny was half a penny, or 1/480th of a pound. A farthing (or "farden") was one-quarter of a penny, or 1/960th of a pound. A shilling (or "bob") was one-twentieth of a pound, or 12 pence. A guinea was one pound plus one shilling (21 shillings, or 1.05 pounds). The guinea was considered a more prestigious unit with which to pay 'gentlemanly' debts: you might pay a chimney-sweep or tradesman in pounds, but you would pay a poet or artisan in guineas...

 

And for some other denominations there's this link: http://www.predecimal.com/predecimaldenominations.htm

[Jahled]

I'm not a brit, but I did have probs with the confusing british money denominations while reading some books in the past.

 

I found this rough summary:

 

The pound sterling ("pound," or "quid") is the base unit (the term originally referred to a troy pound weight of sterling silver). Prior to the decimalization of British currency in 1971, there were 240 pennies (or "pence") to the pound. A ha'penny was half a penny, or 1/480th of a pound. A farthing (or "farden") was one-quarter of a penny, or 1/960th of a pound. A shilling (or "bob") was one-twentieth of a pound, or 12 pence. A guinea was one pound plus one shilling (21 shillings, or 1.05 pounds). The guinea was considered a more prestigious unit with which to pay 'gentlemanly' debts: you might pay a chimney-sweep or tradesman in pounds, but you would pay a poet or artisan in guineas...

 

And for some other denominations there's this link: http://www.predecimal.com/predecimaldenominations.htm

 

Well, that's much more than I could have revealed, I was born in 1971, the year British currancy went decimal. Perhaps in another fifty years we will catch up with the rest of the world and begin thinking in terms of kilometers and not miles...

[Paul]

Don't forget Jahled that the US still also uses miles, pounds, and such. When I was in school they made us learn the decimal system and meters kilometers and such. This was the seventies and they predicted that by the ninties the US would be using the worlds system. The only people today in the US who talk of kilos are cocaine dealers. So much for us switching systems. Go figure!! -Grand Moff Conway

[Trejiuvanat]

You guys and your "Imperial" entanglements. Long live the decimal system!

[Jahled]

Don't forget Jahled that the US still also uses miles, pounds, and such. When I was in school they made us learn the decimal system and meters kilometers and such. This was the seventies and they predicted that by the ninties the US would be using the worlds system. The only people today in the US who talk of kilos are cocaine dealers. So much for us switching systems. Go figure!! -Grand Moff Conway

 

Jahled bows to such logical wisdom. The drug-rot of society would be solved over night if we confused all the dealers and their sad sack of custom by reverting to the good old Imperial measurements; for the wired fools would be suddenly thrown into confusion with how their 'deal,' isn't going how their craved brains originally percieved...

 

Personally, I still struggle to judge distance in any way other than miles.

 

Paul, I honestly had no idea you guys that side of 'the great swim,' measured stuff with the antiquetted old Imperial measurement system...

 

But reverting to the thread's original question, and I have had lengthy conversations with my mum about this, but can you guys get your heads around a currancy that isn't decimal-based? She assures me life ground on reasonably normally before 1971...

 

I wonder how...

[Trejiuvanat]

It's only the guy to the north of Río Grande, they even use those abhorrent Fahrenheits to measure temperature. Latinamérica uses decimal system, round here the only guys taking about miles are US tourists.

[Grand_Admiral_Thrawn]

I find that decimals make math much easier, especially when measureing distance. I can't figure out why so many carpenders here in Canada still use inches and feet, as centemeters and meters are more accurate and precise.

 

Thanks for the link Trej, I think I might actually be able to figure it out, though a currency similar to a dollar that consists of 240 pennies is still a little strange. I wouldn't mind having such a currency since asking for a pence or a farthing, or a crown or a sovereign isounds much cooler than asking for a twoony or a looney .

[Evaders99]

I don't know how meters are more accurate than feet. Whatever scale you measure, it's only as accurate as you can measure it.

 

Anyway, America tries to make the effort to change, but the metric system will always be mostly for science only. Just the way it is... we like to be unique

[Trejiuvanat]

I think that by accurate he meant, that being decimal you can always reduce it. For instance saying that something measures 7 cm and 4 mm. On the opposite hand you cannot say 7 inches and 4 "milli-inches".

 

As for the carpenters I guess that's something that won't change anywhere in the world. As all the nails, screws, etc are produced in Imperial measurements.

[Evaders99]

7.004 inches? Easy and simple... why confuse it by adding prefixes that no one remembers anyway

[Trejiuvanat]

It's easier to remember the prefixes than keeping in mind if an inch is a somethingth of a foot and so on.

[Paul]

Trej I assume you were brought up with the decimal system, right? Well being brought up with the old "Imperial" system I prefer it. I personally think that how you are raised makes you prefer one system over another. I am sure to you the system used in my country seems odd, but to me it is perfectly sound.-Grand Moff Conway

[Lord_La_forge]

Prefixed "SI" here too. And it's fine, and easy to use.

I learned something about that imperial method too. Guess it was fun, when a king died, and the new King's feet had to measured and "updated" in the whole kingdom

I think, that the "meter" was created by french scientists. They measured something on our planet's girth...or something. Umm... yes.

That I have learn...and forgotten.

[Mad78]

. Guess it was fun, when a king died, and the new King's feet had to measured and "updated" in the whole kingdom

What if the King is legless?

 

We use metrics over here and i have always lived with them.

[Jahled]

. Guess it was fun, when a king died, and the new King's feet had to measured and "updated" in the whole kingdom

What if the King is legless?

 

We use metrics over here and i have always lived with them.

 

Well, if the King in question LF was refering to was Hungarian, I believe the last one was extremely legless, probably armless, and undoubtably headless after Suliman and his mob finnished with him...

[Trejiuvanat]

I think, that the "meter" was created by french scientists. They measured something on our planet's girth...or something. Umm... yes.

 

In some museum in Paris there is some metal bar of one meter in length that defined the system. With the years, I think the 1 meter bar has lost a few millimeters.