British Currency-Please explain Pounds and Quid?

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As far as I know the term quid is used in Australia, and its used here in Ireland too, we both used to have the pound as currency. Australia now have the dollar, that's still called a quid, and we have the euro here now, also called a quid, so technically the Germans use the quid too!

There is one time you can use the word 'quids'. If you are about to make a lot of money on something, you can be said to be 'quids in'. Like when the inhabitants of the Aran Islands see a boat full of American tourists pulling into Killronan.
 
Ok guys, what about the phrase 'wouldn't sell it for quids'. As for the Aussie dollar being referred to as a quid, haven't heard it myself in this context. Maybe some of the £10 immigrants of the 50/60s may still use it, old habits do die hard!
 
How about a half crown, or eve a crown…….must no forger the tanner or thruppence, now that was a lovely coin. Yes I know, silly old Fa*t
 
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Wayne Little said:
..anybody got two bob.....
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Got a few bobs here mate, how many do you need?

Vic Balshaw said:
How about a half crown, or eve a crown…….must no forger the tanner or thruppence, now that was a lovely coin. Yes I know, silly old Fa*t
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Then you also have knicker, spud etc. Don't forget Shilling, Angel, Half Sovereign and Sovereign, the Guniea, etc., etc.....





Now, HOW many have thought about this and HOW many can do it with their currency?
 

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When and why your country pick your currency, Dollar, Pound, Franc, Mark etc.? Think that Sweden used to have Riksdaler once...and even a 10.000 Kronor banknote, now I think the 500 is the largest one.
 
Lucky13 said:
Now, HOW many have thought about this and HOW many can do it with their currency?

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Now thats COOL! 8)

Whatever about all the names there were for all the Commonwealth coins, what about how it worked? 4 farthings in a penny, 12 pennies in a shilling, 2 shilings in a florin, 2 shillings and 6 pence in a half crown, 5 shillings in a crown, 20 shillings in a pound, a soverign was also 20 shillings, 22 shillings in a guinea. And then the population all came up with their own nicknames for all the different coins! Now thats confusing! Thank feck for decimalisation.
 
Did you know?
The pre-decimalisation British system of coinage was introduced by King Henry II. It was based on the troy system of weighing precious metals. The penny was literally one pennyweight of silver. A pound sterling thus weighed 240 pennyweights, or a pound of sterling silver.
I'm not THAT old but I do remember as a lad being given a ten bob note (that's ten shillings or fifty pence in todays money) and feeling very rich. I had never had that much money before!
I have recently heard fifty pence referred to as "half a quid" which, whilst arithmetically correct, is bloody irritating.
Steve
 
I have that proof set, purchased from the Royal Mint last year.

Interesting story behind the design by Mattew Dent, and how he came to the winning set up. The mint also liked his design so well, they changed the Pound to reflect his design (which wasn't part of the competition). Not bad for a guy doing Graphic Design fresh out of college!
 
Right then, old currency:
The penny - subdivided into1 the hapenny (half a penny)
2 the farthing (quarter penny)
Twelve pennies make one shilling
The shilling - subdivided into 1 sixpence or a tanner (six pennies)
2 Thrupence or threpenny bit (three pennies)
Twenty shillings or two hundred and forty pennies make one pound (a quid)
The pound - subdivided into 1 Ten bob note (ten shillings)
2 A crown ( five shillings)
3 Half a crown ( two shillings and sixpence)
4 Florin or two bob bit ( two shillings)
5 shilling or bob ( one shilling)
There was also a gold coin called a Guinea. This was worth One pound and one shilling. It was not common currency. you bought livestock, paid sollicitors (attornees),some clothes and posh hotel bills in guineas. A ten guinea suit therefore cost ten pounds and ten shillings, noone would have ten ten guinea coins!
Simple wasn't it.
Steve
 
The use of quid dates from the 17th century, possibly inspired by the Latin phrase quid pro quo. The plural for quid does exist but it is not normally used. Just as in colloquial English many people now say five pound instead of five pounds. The plural of quid is still used in the phrase "to be quids in". I, of course, only use sovereigns and guineas.
 
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