I can seldom resist the opportunity to quote a footnote from Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman: "NOTE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND AMERICANS: One shilling

I can seldom resist the opportunity to quote a footnote from Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman: "NOTE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND AMERICANS: One shilling = Five Pee. It helps to understand the antique finances of the Witchfinder Army if you know the original British monetary system: Two farthings = One Ha'penny. Two ha'pennies = One Penny. Three pennies = A Thrupenny Bit. Two Thrupences = A Sixpence. Two Sixpences = One Shilling, or Bob. Two Bob = A Florin. One Florin and one Sixpence = Half a Crown. Four Half Crowns = Ten Bob Note. Two Ten Bob Notes = One Pound (or 240 pennies). One Pound and One Shilling = One Guinea. The British resisted decimalized currency for a long time because they thought it was too complicated." I have read that a ha'penny from the time of Queen Victoria is worth about 5p in today's currency, an argument for abolishing the annoyingly worthless 2p and 1p coins.