Small Coinage

[Geordie582 18]

OK! I'm getting serious now! It has puzzled me for years as to how people used the very small coins proliferating history. I mean the likes of Celtic units, Roman Quadrans and English hammered silver farthings. All of these were around 10 mm in diameter. When you think of being paid in that size coin you must wonder about how they kept the coins, in a purse or pouch etc without many losses. When you realise the value in material terms of an Edward III farthing it must have been very traumatic to lose one!!

Any thoughts?

[Peter 615]

I'm sure a lot of people went about their day to day business without using coins.

Relying on barter or payment in other terms.

Coins until the 19 C were an intrinsic item....what a great wheeze when the government pursuaded people to accept coins at less than face value & eventually into accepting papermoney(promise to pay the bearer etc.)

A fanscinating history I'm sure.

[Geordie582 18]

The historians claim that only the upper ruling classes used coins, but youl'd think that they would at least make them "handleable". Imagine buying land in Edward Ist reign with a chest full of hammered pennies. It must have taken quite a while to count them!!

[mint_mark 3]

Surely we know from hoards that people did save them up and value them. I remember a history program on TV about castles where they demonstrated how much it cost to have a castle built. They had some real Edward I pennies and then they simulated the required pile with milk bottle tops

We also know that a penny was too much and often got cut into pieces, until coppers came along. Maybe they didn't pay in cash for every transaction... I know that in Victorian times people had a lot more acocunts and tabs with retailers... if that system went right back then it would mean poeple could leave settling up until it was worthwhile.

As for tiny coins, I have some 2-3mm coins from India... just little blobs really. I suppose you would have kept them in a purse, carefully wrapped in a piece of cloth.

[Geordie582 18]

I just had this picture of a serf being paid for the month with a few silver pennies - and dropping them in the mud!

[Levi_NI 0]

It is bound to have happened loads of times..but it has to remembered, back in those days, the working class were more often than not paid for service by being fed, watered and housed.

[TomGoodheart 373]

I read somewhere that people in ancient Greece used to just keep tiny silver coins in their mouths. I guess you'd just suck in your cheeks when walking past anyone dodgy looking!

Edited February 19, 2005 by TomGoodheart

[Geordie582 18]

Gulp!!

[Levi_NI 0]

I read somewhere that people in ancient Greece used to just keep tiny silver coins in their mouths. I guess you'd just suck in your cheeks when walking past anyone dodgy looking!

Maybe that is the real reason people dig the back off you when your choking..it isn't to help you, it is to get the money!!