Question about a TV movie

[aleroit2000]

Hi,

some days ago I saw a Tv movie based on the adventuer of Hornblower.

In a scene he wea playing cards and when he won, another man paid him with some "papers" (or something that seem to be..).

In another scene he had to pay the house and his girlfriend said to her mother thath he had just paid her an "half cown".

So I'm asking:

as the movie was in 1803, there were at the time banknotes or similar? And there were half crowns? As it were before the Great Recoinage?

If yes, what was the face value? Becouse at the time there wasnt' yet the pound, but the Guinea, valued 21 shillings...

Thanks (and forgive my bad enlglish... )

[Chris Perkins]

There were banknotes then for high amount like £5 (which was a lot then). And the previous reign George II halfcrowns would have still been in circulation. They would have still had the face value of 2 shillings and 6 pence.

[scottishmoney]

Some provincial banks issued £1 notes, the Bank of England did not get into the act of issuing £1 notes until 1817-1818 or so during the tenure of Henry Hase.

During the early part of the 19th century anything that could pass as money basically did, including even foreign coins, coinage was very scarce - the reign of George III saw very light issues of coinage until 1797, and then the early 19th century.