British Currency Decimalised and Imperialised 7 



THE CURRENCY. 



ESSENTIAL CHANGES. 

 PRESENT COINAGE. NEW COINAGE. 



The florin, ^ pound sterling ; The florin, equivalent to 100 

 equivalent to 96 farthings. (British) cents. The acting unit of 



value, and integer of all sums. 



The farthing, 7 V florin and vfa The cent, ^ florin, and r^V* 

 pound sterling. pound sterling. 



The pound or sovereign ; gold The pound or sovereign ; gold 

 standard ; represents 20s. standard and essential unit of value ; 



represents 10 florins. 



Four " coins of account "farth- Two " coins of account " only 

 ing, penny, shilling, and pound. cent and florint 



THE UNIT. 



The pound or sovereign is too large a sum to serve as 

 the acting unit, and would necessitate three decimal 

 places for the fraction, when sixpence would be repre- 

 sented as 0*025, which in daily use would become 

 intolerable ; whereas with the florin as unit there would 

 be only two decimal places, fl. 0*25. But the pound as 

 a denomination would not be obscured, as all the figures 

 to the left of the first (or unit) figure of the integer would 

 show pounds at sight without any arithmetical calculation 

 (see p. 5) ; so that large sums, where the fraction the 

 negligible quantity is ignored, could still be quoted in 

 pounds, as is at present done for Eevenue comparisons, 

 etc. 



THE COINS. 



The GOLD coins would remain untouched in value, but 

 might with advantage have their values in florins 

 embossed upon them. 



The SILVER coins would remain as they are at present, 

 except that the 3d. piece (12 cents), not being a decimal 

 coin, and the half-crown (125 cents), which is too near in 

 value and size to the florin, would be withdrawn, while 



