They do not have £1 notes, instead it is a coin, they also have a £2 coin, but I do not get it as often. I have also seen the £5, £10, and £20 notes, they have a £50 note as well. The notes are easy! It is the coins that are different. Last week I was at Starbucks with the boys getting lunch and our bill was £20.40. The line behind us was long, it was a bit dark in the store and I tried to hand the clerk what I thought was close to the right change.... I was off and so finally in frustration I took a handful of change out of my change pocket and held them in my hands and asked her to please pick out the correct change. I apologized profusely and told her my just moving here story. She was very nice and very forgiving, and it let us move out of the line quickly! What a relief!
The kids are having a great time with the new coin system. Son 2 & 3 have both found £1 on the ground, and they have all found some coins, they keep a sharp look out for change and someone usually finds something on every trip out that we make!
In the UK, they call cents, pence or pees (p). They have a penny like we do, but we have nicknamed it a pencey, 2p (pence), 5p , 10p, 20p and 50p. Pretty standard really, but confusing because of what we are used to in the American system. The pencey (penny) is about the same size and color as ours. The 2p is large and copper colored as well, They are the two copper colored coins. The 5p is very similar to our dime in shape and that it has the same type of serrated edge. The 20p and 50p are a 7 sided polygon, with the 50p being the bigger of the two. The 10p is close to the same size as our quarter. The next coin is the £1, which is thick and a golden color. The £2 is bigger and gold and silver two toned, similar to the £1. They all have a picture of HM The Queen on one side of the coin and the other side of the coins all the newer coins have a portion of Shield of the Royal Arms. If you would like to read about it, I would suggest this link http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/shield.html.
All the notes also have HM Queen Elizabeth printed on one side and different historical notables on the back. The £5 has Elizabeth Fry, who worked to improve jail conditions for women across Europe. The £10 features Charles Darwin, no explanation needed! The £20 features the composer Sir Edgar Elger. The £50 note has the first Governor of the Bank of England, Sir John Houblon.
So, for all of you English history buffs, what is a sixpense, shilling or half a crown? Well, those terms are actually no longer used as they have changed the currency system. See below, this is what they would be equal to in the current system:
- six pense=2.5p
- one shilling (or "bob")=5p
- Half a crown (2 shillings and a sixpense)=12.5p
- one guinea=£1.05
They have slang terms for their money as well, £1 is also called a Quid, 5 Quid and so on. A pound coin is sometimes also called a smacker or smackeroon. The £5 notes can also be referred to as a fiver and the £10 a tenner. I have not personally heard those terms, but now if I do, I will know what they are talking about!
Interesting note, Super Handsome's maternal grandmother, kept sixpence for all of her grandchildren for when they got married. I wore my mother in laws and mine both on my wedding day in my shoe and I still have mine for my future daughter in laws to borrow. Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue and a sixpence in your shoe (as the full saying goes). It has been good luck for us, Super Husband and I have been married 16.5 years, it will be 17 years in 2012 May!
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