Especially for Younger Members ?

[tubandpud 0]

Following on from School Subjects - I hated school, except for the last year! - No sophisticated lessons in those

days, basically R+R+R. My favourite lesson in the last year (1958 - ouch !!) was Pitmans shorthand (younger

members refer to dictionary) and bookkeeping (£.s.d. then) with no adding machines worked with handles -

calculators came much later !

A quiz for all, but please, older members have fun then reply at a later date:-

In 1954 I went into a grocery shop with one £1. note and one 10 shilling note. I bought meat @ 7s.9,1/2d ;

bread @ 1s.2,3/4d ; dairy products @ 3s.6,1/2d ; fresh fruit @ 2s.8d ; vegetables @ 3s.3,1/4d ; biscuits @ 11d ;

dried fruit @ 2/- and cleaning products @ 2s.1,1/4d.

I was given the largest possible coins in my change, which were they ? Have fun - NO CALCULATORS !!

[Sylvester 15]

I am dyslexic with numbers. We used to have questions like that at school, (not in pre-decimal currency) but stuff like how long it takes a man to go somewhere in a car with half a gallon of petrol at 6 mph, 7 miles, how many times he refils, plus how much change he got when buying it, and if he set off at 6.30 when did he arrive?

Every time i saw a question like that i put a dash next to it and moved onto the next one.

You totally lost me there mate, completely. I could figure out how much you spend and the change, but when it comes to getting cash in largest denom coins, i could never do anything like that, far too complex.

But i can tell you how many atoms are in 1 mole of carbon should you wish.

[Emperor Oli 0]

I'm flummoxed with that. I got a Clerk's test paper from the Bank of England with questions like that and I could do about three of the twenty questions. If I find it I'll type it out and post it here...

[Sylvester 15]

Maths was my worst subject.

[Unknown 0]

I only came to the UK in 1995, so have no idea about the pre-decimalisation values... no way I can do that in Shillings and so on...

[Master Jmd 80]

Tricky, lets see:

____£1 10/-____

7/- 9, 1/2

1/- 2, 3/4

3/- 6, 1/2

2/- 8___

3/- 3, 1/4

___11__

2/-_____

2/- 1, 1/4

=

£1, 4/-, 3, 1/4d Spent

Which leaves...um...um...um...hmm...5/-, 8, 3/4d (maybe!?)

Um...

Which is:

1 Crown

1 Sixpence

2 Pennies

1 Halfpenny

1 Farthing

!?

...um...6 coins left over?

Edited December 5, 2004 by Master Jmd

[Sylvester 15]

I made it £1/3/6, 1/4d spent

[Sylvester 15]

Which would make 6/5, 3/4d change

[Sylvester 15]

6s. 5 3/4d in largest denoms available.

Now the 5/- did not really circulate so you could have got one of those but two halfcrowns are more likely;

Thus;

2/6 x 2

1/- x 1

3d x 1

1d x 1

1/2d x 1

and a farthing.

[Sylvester 15]

You know i'm sure it would have been easier to add up all the pennies before and after do the calculation like that and then redistribute it all back into £sd format.

So £10/10/- = 360d

£1/3/6, 1/4d = 240 + 36 + 6, 1/4d = 282,1/4d

360d-282, 1/4d = a hell of alot less (77, 3/4d)

77, 3/4d = 12X6=72

so 6/-

5 3/4 pence is left over.

And thus 6s. 5, 3/4d

[Guest Peter]

I am just of an age where I can remember £ s d.....but never had a lot of them. (primary school during decimalisation....I can still hum that inane TV advert about it)

Back in 54 my Grandfather was lucky.

In his change he got

1)1934 Crown

2)1850 shilling

3)1945 Silver 3d

4)1933 & 1954 1d's

5)1871 1/2d

6)1698 (date in exerge 1/4d)

Trouble is he went down to the Dog and Partridge and spent the change on Booze and fags.

[Geordie582 18]

Maths was my worst subject.

Since when does spending money count as maths? The younger generation seem to do it by instinct!

Edited December 6, 2004 by Geordie582

[Geoff T 3]

I am just of an age where I can remember £ s d.....but never had a lot of them. (primary school during decimalisation....I can still hum that inane TV advert about it)

Back in 54 my Grandfather was lucky.

In his change he got

1)1934 Crown

2)1850 shilling

3)1945 Silver 3d

4)1933 & 1954 1d's

5)1871 1/2d

6)1698 (date in exerge 1/4d)

Trouble is he went down to the Dog and Partridge and spent the change on Booze and fags.

Chance would have been a fine thing, but the 1698 farthing wouldn't have been legal tender in 1954 - whereas the 1945 silver 3d would have been and still is, if you can find one, let alone be prepared to spend it.

The pre-decimal addition question took me back, but the answer, as Sylvester rightly says, is that you would have got 6/5 three-farthing change and the biggest coin you'd be likely to get would be a half-crown. It's a 1952 and you set off to the Dog and Partridge...

[tubandpud 0]

What about the two bob-bit ??

[Geoff T 3]

That's smaller than the 2/6d

[tubandpud 0]

Thanks for replies. Yes, Sylvester came up with the correct amount of change, but I'm glad I wasn't behind her

in the shop converting to pennies !! Master Jmd had the right idea about the coins, but sorry mate, added up

incorrectly. Peter's Grandad was VERY lucky to receive a crown in his change - not normal in 1954, as noted by

Sylvester. Joeys (silver 3d.) were not usual in change by then either.

What I ended up with in my change was:-

Half-crown 2s. 6d.

Florin/Two Shillings (2 bob-bit) 2s. 0d.

Shilling (bob) 1s. 0d.

Sixpence (tanner) 6d.

Brass Threepence (thr'up'ny) 3d.

Two pennies (coppers) 2d.

(not my two penny cartwheel)

Half-penny ('a'pny) 1/2d.

Farthing 1/4d.

(not my 1694 W&M)

TOTAL - 6s. 5,3/4d.

(Violin time !!) The younger generation have it soooooooeasy with decimals and Euros !! ??

By the way, I was far too young to go to The Dog & Partridge in 1954 !!

[Emperor Oli 0]

Sylvester came up with the correct amount of change, but I'm glad I wasn't behind her

in the shop converting to pennies

Sylvester is male

[Geordie582 18]

Nice face though!!

[Guest Peter]

Shame about the legs.

[Chris Perkins 228]

Anyone entering at this point might think this is the British Transvestite forum, not British Coins! Isn't it normal to wear a dress and call ones self Shirley at weekends Sylvester?

[Sylvester 15]

Anyone entering at this point might think this is the British Transvestite forum, not British Coins! Isn't it normal to wear a dress and call ones self Shirley at weekends Sylvester?

i do it all the time...

[Chris Perkins 228]

Actually, I think it's about time I ventured up North to meet the Northern Core of this forum, especially Geoff, Oli, Sylvester. You're all roughly around Manchester aren't you.

[Emperor Oli 0]

60 miles give or take. You could come when (not if) they start a Manchester Coin Fair.

[tubandpud 0]

All right, you lot, take the piss out of me (or Sylvester) I'm broad enough to take it !! Sorry, Sylvester - it

was your 'beautiful' hair which threw me. I've still got a lot to learn about you members ??

[Chris Perkins 228]

Yes, I'm the one with the beautiful hair!