blake wrote on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:22:28 GMT:

>> koko > wrote in
>> news >>
>>>> how much for an actual shave and a haircut?
>>>
>>> Shave and a haircut...two bits.
>>
>> At the time, that would be very expensive, the 2 sols 6
>> deniers coin (being the equivalent of 30 deniers) which was
>> later reused from a half-crown (in 1857) to serve as a 25
>> cent piece. Its 30 pence piece (the pre- revolutionary
>> French and the English until 1971 used virtually the same
>> duodecimal and vingitesimal monetary system) was called "un
>> trente sous" (a thirty cent piece). The moniker was reused
>> to refer to a 25 cent piece in Québec as in "T'as tsi in
>> trente sous?" (Godda quodder?) and it can still be heard
>> every now and then.

> one thing i always wanted to do (but was too lazy) was hang
> out by the subway station and ask people if they have a
> quarter. when they'd say 'no,' i'd say well 'here, have one'
> and give them one of mine.

LOL, wish I'd had the nerve to try that too! The 30 pence coin was
called "half a crown" in Britain, as Koko said, and sometimes a "half
dollar", dating from the long time when there were about 4 USD to the
GBP. It was also called "two and six" and written 2/6.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not