> > No, a bob is a shilling. And the pre-decimal system isn't that complicated. Certainly no more complex than any other currency of the time. there was 12 pence to the shilling and 20 shillings to the pound. The current (post-decimalisation) legal coins are:
>
> A "bob" is still also used to refer to a ten pence piece, although this seems to be dying out.
>
> The use of "quid" for pound is definitely here to stay, as long as we don't go to the Euro, of course.
>
> > 1p
> > 2p
> > 5p
> > 10p
> > 20p
> > 50p
> > £1
> > £2
> > £5 (not standard issue, though)
>
> Paper money-wise, we have £5, £10, £20 and £50. The £50 is not often seen and quite often not accepted, because it's the most commonly forged note.
>
> > Pre decimalisation, you had (and this list is not exhaustive):
> > farthing (1/4p)
> > half-penny
> > penny
> > twopenny
> > threepenny
> > sixpence
> > shilling
> > half-crown (1 shilling and threepence)
> > florin (2 shillings)
> > crown (2 shillings and sixpence)
> > double crown (5 shillings)
> > sovereign (£1)
> > guinea (£1 and 1 shilling)
>
> There were also ten shilling notes and pound notes, as well as those notes listed above.
>
> It is also worth noting the notation system for pre-decimal currency. It wasn't simply £pounds.pence
>
> The pounds, shillings and pence were listed separately and used letters to denote the sub-pound units, like so:
>
> £50 12s 6d ("d" from the old Latin dinarii, I am led to believe.)
>
> If something was less than a pound it was usually listed as a double figure separated by a forward stroke (No symbols listed). eg.
>
> 12/6
>
> When pronounced, the convention was "Such and such". ie The above amount would be "Twelve and six". The larger amount would be, "50 pounds, twelve and six."
>
> Just like other systems, the names would be used for exact amounts, like "shilling" or "Half-crown".
>
> I suppose it may look confusing from the above, but I daresay it wasn't to the people that used it everyday.

Thanks, I think. Not complicated, you say? Well, the value of a shilling was what I needed to know. I've never seen an English florin, but I have one from Australia. I also have a guinea, a half-penny and several pennies of various sizes. I still have a pound that I got in London a long time ago, but no shillings.

I guess I need to review my British currency.

Thanks for all the information.
Howard