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Pre-decimalisation money

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Lumpammer

Lumpammer

master brummie
We have had the Cheese Quiz and The Christmas Quiz, now try this one


Old money quiz
In the following problem a series of twelve clues have been given. Each answer is an amount in the currency used in England prior to decimalisation.

You have been given the final total. All you have to do is insert each of the twelve amounts that, when added together, equals the final total of £32 17s 8 1/2d

1: A Stone =

2: A Bicycle =

3: A Mans Name =

4: A Singer =

5: A Kind of Pig =

6: A Leather Worker =

7: Part of Monkey =

8: Sun, Moon, Pluto =

9: Royal Headdress =

10: 50% of Panties =

11: Hit Repeatedly =

12: Unwell Sea Creature =




Total Amount =£32 17s 8 1/2d
 
A bit early in the morning for me but possible answers for some of the questions

3: A Mans Name = Bob = old 1 shilling = 12d

5: A Kind of Pig = Guinea = 21 old shillings = 252d

6: A Leather Worker = Tanner = old Sixpence = 6d

9: Royal Headdress = Crown = 5 old shillings = 60d
 
I put the old pennies so I could use a spreadsheet to add up the final total ... can't do it in my head and it's easier than pen and paper ...:rolleyes:
 
Lumpammer said:
Difficult a calculator for £SD isnt it?

We always called 10 shillings 10 bob
Click to expand...
That's why I'm converting all to old pennies. I shall divide the total by 240 to give pounds and the remaining pennies by 12 to get the shillings and the remainder will be in pennies and half pennies.
Life was so simple before 1971 ... except long division in old money !
 
oldMohawk said:
That's why I'm converting all to old pennies. I shall divide the total by 240 to give pounds and the remaining pennies by 12 to get the shillings and the remainder will be in pennies and half pennies.
Life was so simple before 1971 ... except long division in old money !
Click to expand...
Perhaps my final total may need correcting. I did it all in long hand.
 
Can't find answers to 7:part of a monkey and 11: Hit repeatedly
Total so far £32 .....12s......8d
Still 5s 1/2d short:mad:
 
Long ago as a child I remember buying some 'liquorice root' and the shopkeeper said they half a penny for three but he pronounced it as 'ape-nee' for three.

7: Part of Monkey = 'ape knee' ... half of old penny
 
Brilliant that is my missing halfpenny.

£14 + penny farthing + 1s + £10 + 21s + 6d + apeknee + 3 farthings + 5s + 10s + £1 + £6
 
Finally got the right answer. I was still 10s out until I realised 50% of panties was half a knicker and not half of a pair of knickers. I thought as the clue was panties (plural) half of knickers was a knicker.
Good quiz, very enjoyable. Thank you Lumpammer
 
oldMohawk said:
Long ago as a child I remember buying some 'liquorice root' and the shopkeeper said they half a penny for three but he pronounced it as 'ape-nee' for three.

7: Part of Monkey = 'ape knee' ... half of old penny
Click to expand...
It took me weeks to work out APE KNEE
 
Just looking in the Birmingham papers for slang terms for money...

From 1891 midjic = shilling and a Thick-un = a sovereign

But off the subject I found this pugilistic slang from 1861..


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pjmburns said:
Brilliant that is my missing halfpenny.

£14 + penny farthing + 1s + £10 + 21s + 6d + apeknee + 3 farthings + 5s + 10s + £1 + £6
Click to expand...

Regarding Number 12, the sick quid, I took this to be 6 quid. To me a quid was always a pound.

But during the search for old slang terms there are references to a quid being a sovereign.

(Edit...forgot to add of course that a sovereign was a pound, but the pound may have come before the sovereign?)
 
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When I worked for my friend's dad in the Bull Ring there were a few slang names for the money we handled.
A 1d coin was a "Clod", a 6d piece was called a "Sprarsie", a 2s piece (Florin) was referred to as "Owtgen" and a half crown was always a "Tosheroon". We also used a form of backslang, as did the butchers, and a a ten shilling not was a "Net" and a pound note was a "Dunop", a fiver was a "Jacks" (Jack's alive = 5).
It seems strange using these terms now. I don't know if they still use the backslang on the markets nowadays but certainly the last time I was in a Birmingham butchers' shop they were still using it.
 
Last week a ten shilling note was found in some old possessions. It's the first time I have actually handled a note from before decimalisation.

Ok, that's nothing to write home about (or to the forum!), but it got me thinking about the money that my ancestors would have been using.

Obviously I could 'search engine' the subject, but it's much more interesting asking the forum where they recommend that I look to find the history of money.

So if anyone could make any suggestions I would appreciate it.
 
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