[Loch-Ruadh] Speaking Forsoothly - Daily Lesson 28

[Pádraig Ruad Ó Maolagáin]

Daily Lesson 28

Money – 3

Spending

In Period, ordinary amounts of money are rarely referred to in terms of
pounds, unless among the nobility or merchant class speaking in terms of
taxes, trading voyages or the like, as a pound, originally an actual pound
of gold, was a large sum.

Ordinary wages, earnings and expenditures would be in terms of crowns,
shillings and pence. ("I sold that last shipment of French cloth for 7
crowns, 4 shillings and sixpence at market.")  A pound was a substantial
amount of money, and many people’s annual wages or earnings could be
expressed in shillings and pence.  When speaking of the value of an item,
rather than substituting pounds for dollars, try using shillings, or even
pennies, depending on the item.  Ten pounds for a tunic would have been
unthinkable, but 10 shillings, while expensive, would be much more
reasonable for a Period cost.  For items like food and drink, use pennies.
 Tuppence for a beer is about right, and a meal at a tavern might run
sixpence.  Some rough equivalents that may put things more in perspective:

Sovereign          -     50 dollars
Angel              -     25 dollars
Crown              -     10 dollars
Half-a-crown       -      5 dollars
Shilling           -      1 dollar
Sixpence           -     50 cents
Groat              -     about 35 cents
Thruppence         -     quarter
Tuppence           -     dime
Penny              -     nickle
Ha’penny           -     2-1/2 cents
Farthing           -     penny

Even this may be too low, so think in terms of 1950's prices; a first
class stamp was 3 cents (about a ha'penny), a soda was a nickle (a penny),
a hamburger a dime (tuppence), a loaf of bread a quarter (thruppence),
etc.

Tips would reflect this as well.  A household-type servant, a server at an
inn or an hostler’s apprentice would be extraordinarily well paid if he
made 2 or 3 pounds per year.  A generous tip might be tuppence or
thruppence.  This kind of tip was known as a vail.

In trying to obtain information or a favor from someone besides a servant,
use gifts instead of money.  For servants, coin of the Realm is the
preferred offering.

Shakespearian Word/Phrase of the Day:
	Kickshaws – trifles, trivia
	“Whilst waiting for Court to begin, we amused ourselves with various
kickshaws.”


Padraig
-- 
Nunc est bibendum.
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Politicians prefer unarmed peasants.