Predecimal system - I think I have got it right I have no doubt someone will shout up if it is wrong!!

LSD (L = Pounds, S = Shillings and D = Pence)

240 pennies in a pound
20 shilling in a pound
10 florins to a pound
5 shillings in a crown
2 shillings to a florin
60 pennies in a crown
30 pennies in a halfcrown
12 pennies in a shilling
2 halfpennies in a penny
4 farthings in a penny

Farthing also known as a 1/4d
Halfpenny also known as a 1/2d or "ha'pennies"(Plural Halfpence)
Penny also known as a 1d (Plural Pence)
Threepence also known as a 3d, "thrupence" or "joey" (Brass commonly called a thrupenny bit)
Sixpence also known as a 6d or tanner
Shilling also known as 1/- or a "bob"
Two Shillings also known as a "florin" or 2/-
Half Crown also known as 2/6 or "2'n'6"

Phew I think thats it

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, £SD is what they were singing about

You forgot the following

4d known as a Groat which is the real Joey, named after a Mr Joseph Hume who reccomended it to pay the correct fair for the London Omnibus Then standing at 4d.

When I was young (no cracks) 3d was also known on Tyneside as a "thrupny diddler" or just a "diddler"

I have heard it called a diddler before, but have not yet found out why LOL I have some theories though LOL there was also 'Half a dollar' refering to Two shillings and sixpence & 'A Dollar' to Five shillings.

Other coins included

Crown: = 5 shillings

Half-sovereign: =10 shillings. Small gold coin. Rarely used.

Sovereign: =20 shillings. Small gold coin. Rarely used.

Guinea: =21 shillings. Small gold coin. Rarely used. Term still used in horse racing and auctions.

Thanks for the additions , I know a few poeple have asked about the system, so at least this post gives them a good starting point.

Holy crap, imagine using that! AHH!

LOL looks complicated but was natural when I was growing up, never thought of money been counted in any other way

I suppose. If I wasn't brought up with that system, it would be hard to learn.
When did Britain switch to decimal coinage?
who made the old system up?

Went the way of the Dodo from 1968 as we decided to join what is now the EU (No Euro back then) and it was to bring us into line with the rest of Mankind LOL

Wow, not that long ago!
Thanks!

Not quite true! Vicky had a go by introducing the Florin (1/10th pound). The coin was accepted but the concept didn't!

Actually 15th February 1971 was D-day for Decimal coinage, now the 5p and 10p coins were released beginning in 1968 in place of shillings and florins, and the 50p came out in place of the 10/- note in 1969. But the other coins were not released until 1971. The old tanners continued circulating as a 2 1/2p coin until 1980 when they were withdrawn, then the bobs and florins soldiered on until the early 1990's when the 5p and 10p coins were downsized.

In 1867 there was a 10 pence piece (equal to 1 Franc)
1913 the eight pence peice (only in patterns I think)
And of course there had been the Maundy 2d for rather a long time as well

And the 1797 Twopence - The cartwheel tuppence which weighed two ounces (of copper) and was commonly used by cooks as a weight for scales.
They also used the Cartwheel penny which weighed an ounce

Interesting, any images of these at all, the Eight Pence especially.

Another one not mentioned above (I think) was the Double Florin (4/-) which was first minted in 1887 and last minted in 1890. they did circulate for a little while afterwards but were eventually withdrawn.

Wasn't there also a coin called the third farthing that was mainly used on Malta? Did that have a special name?

I can verify but don't forget there were also half-farthing (Ceylon), quarter-farthing (Ceylon) and third-farthings (Malta: = 1 grano as 3 grani were equal to 1 farthing)). Although only the halves were ever valid in the 19th-Century for a short period as change in Britain.

Revision A..........

LSD (L = Pounds, S = Shillings and D = Pence)

240 pennies in a pound
20 shilling in a pound
10 florins to a pound
5 shillings in a crown
2 shillings to a florin
60 pennies in a crown
30 pennies in a halfcrown
12 pennies in a shilling
2 halfpennies in a penny
4 farthings in a penny

Denominations - Smallest to Largest

Quarter Farthing - 16 to a penny, a staggering 3840 in a pound!!!
Third Farthing
Half Farthing
Farthing also known as a 1/4d
Halfpenny also known as a 1/2d or "ha'pennies"(Plural Halfpence)
Penny also known as a 1d (Plural Pence)
Penny Halfpence also known as 1 1/2d
Twopence also known as a "tuppence"
Threepence also known as a 3d, "thrupence" or "joey" (Brass commonly called a thrupenny bit)
Fourpence also known as a "Groat"
Sixpence also known as a 6d or "Tanner"
Shilling also known as 1/- or a "Bob"
Two Shillings also known as a "Florin" or 2/-
Four Shillings also known as a "Double Florin" or 4/-
Half Crown also known as 2/6 or "2'n'6"
Five shillings also known as a "Crown"


Phew I think thats it

Strange to say, the 2/6d was commonly "a half dollar".

Not quite it, you forgot the gold. There's also;

(pre-1817)

Quarter Guinea (5 shillings and threepence)
Third Guinea (7 shillings)
Half Guinea (10 shillings and sixpence)
Guinea (21 shillings, aka One Pound and one Shilling)
Two Guineas (42 shillings, aka two pound two)
Five Guineas (105 shillings, aka five pound five)

(1817 onwards)

Half Sovereign (ten shillings)
Sovereign (twenty shillings or one pound)
Two Pounds (forty shillings)
Five Pounds (one hundred shillings)



And Sovereigns are still legal tender for one pound.