What’s in Roxana’s Wallet?

British Money, pre 1971 Pounds, Shillings, Pence (l.s.d.)

1 POUND = 20 SHILLINGS = 240 PENCE

Basic paper unit is the one pound note or bill (symbol is either l. or ₤ ) based on a pound of silver (pound is still referred to as pounds sterling)

20 shillings (a shilling is a coin) = 1 pound symbol for shilling = s

*21 shillings = 1 Guinea (1 pound & 1 shilling), often mentioned in Defoe

10 shillings = half pound, or half-pound note

5 shillings = “a crown”

2.5 shillings = “a half crown”

1 shilling coin= 12 pennies, or pence (symbol is d)

6 pence = a coin worth half a shilling

final penny coins = 2.5 pence coin, 1 pence coin (called a penny), 0.5 pence coin (called a ha’penny), 0.25 quarter-pence coin (called farthing)

French Money c. 1720

1 Pistole (1 Louis d’Or gold coin) = about 4 livres

1 livre = 1 pound silver

1 livre = 20 sous

1 sous = 12 deniers

Portuguese Money

main gold coin is the Moidore (Crusoe has many). Although minted in Portugal, it was also one of the most common coins

circulating in Ireland in the 1720s