Anglo-Saxons Today

Money.

For those who might be more interested with the money side of things, it wouldn't be so hard to return to pence and shillings system the Anglo-Saxons had. However, before I show you how, here's a short background to pre-decimilization.

Before decimilization in the 1970's we used to count money (British Sterling) in pounds, shillings and pence. From what I've read, pennies and shillings started from around 760 AD during the Anglo-Saxon Age and I think I'm right in that the pound as a monetary value came into being after the Norman invasion. In fact the system of coinage used in Britain before the 1970's was introduce by Henry II. The penny from this time on, was literally one pennyweight of silver. A pound sterling thus weighed 240 pennyweights, or a pound of sterling silver. This was based on the Troy system for measuring the weights of precious metals.

The symbols for pounds, shillings and pence are as follows;

Pound = £ or L or l

Shilling = s or /-

Pennies = d

Here is the following scale for pounds, shillings and pence;

1 Farthing = ¼ d   1 quarter penny

2 Farthings = ½ d   1 half penny

2 ½ pennies = 1 d   1 penny

3 Pennies = 3 d   1 thruppence

6 Pennies = 6d   1 sixpence ( a 'tanner')

12 Pence = 1s   1 shilling (a bob)

2 Shillings = 2s    1 florin (two bob)

2 Shillings and 6 pence = 2s 6d    1 half crown

5 Shillings = 5s    1 Crown

4 Crowns = 20s    £1     Soveriegn (Gold coin),    quid (paper £1)

1 pound 1 shilling     =      £1/1/-    1 Guinea    21s      21/-    1g or 1gn

A guinea was considered a more gentlemanly amount than £1. You paid tradesmen, such as a carpenter, in pounds but gentlemen, such as an artist, in guineas.

A third of a guinea equalled exactly seven shillings.


For thse who wish to know how to convert modern money to pounds shillings and pence without actually changing the money, see below.


Here is the designation of decimal money as currently used in England;


1 Penny


2 x 1 pences = 1 x 2 Pence piece


5 x 1 pences = 1 x 5 Pence piece


2 x 5 pences = 10 Pence piece


2 x 10 pences = 20 Pence piece


2 x 20 pences + 1 x 10 pence = 50 pence piece


2 x 50 pences = 1 Pound    £1


If you wanted to convert to pounds, shillings and pence again using todays money, read on;


The thing about shillings is that the value of the original Anglo-Saxon shilling varied between 4 to 6 and 12 pennies, so what we can do is make 5 pennies or the five penny piece of today equal to 1 shilling. The pound isn't a pound in coinage but a pound of silver, sometimes several thousands given as part of a payment (Danegeld), to the Vikings as a pay off to prevent more invasions, err, which didn't always work.


1 Penny


2 pennies = 1 x 2 pence piece    (tuppence)


3 pennies = 1 penny piece + 2 penny piece     thruppence


5 pennies = 1 x 5 pence piece      1 shilling     1s    (a bob)


2 x 5 pence pieces = 1 x 10 pence piece     2 shillings      2s     (two bob)


2 x 10 pence pieces = 1 x 20 pence piece    4 shillings      4s      (four bob)


2 x 4 shillings + 2 shillings   =   1 x 50 pence piece   =   10 shillings   =   ½ Crown


2 x 50 pence pieces    =    20 shillings    =      £1       =    Crown (gold coin)   1 quid


1 x £1 + 1 shilling     =      21 shillings        1 Guinea.


Now, those who would want to, could go back to calculating in pounds, shillings and pence, without having to change the coinage we have today.

Instead of knowing easily how much money you don't have in you're pocket, it'll be more difficult.


Ok, not that much.


Have fun.


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