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British Currency Throughout the Ages

MeasuringWorth.com has some great calculators for converting both British pounds and US dollars:


 British Coins:

Note: Not all coins were in use at a given time; some were in circulation for less than one year before becoming obsolete.

Rose Ryal = 30 shillings (during reign of James I)
  • Guinea = 21 shillings (value could fluctualte bewteen 20-30 shillings depending on the quality of the coinage in use)
  • Pound  = 20 shillings
  • Sovereign = 20 shillings
  • Broad = 20 shillings (1656 only)
  • Laurel = 20 shillings (during reign of James I)
  • Spur Ryal = 15 shillings
  • Mark = 13 shillings + 4 pence
  • Half Guinea =10 shillings + 6 pence
  • Half Sovereign = 10 shillings
  • Noble = 6 shillings + 8 pence
  • Angel = 6 shillings + 8 pence (1464- 1643)
  • Double Leopard (Gold Florin) = 6 shillings (only in use in 1344)
  • Crown = 5 shillings
  • Half crown = 2 shillings + 6 pence
  • Shilling  = 12 pence
  • Leopard = 3 shillings (1344 only)
  • Florin = 2 shilling (from 1849 to 1970)
  • Helm (Quarter-Florin) = 1 shilling + sixpence (1344 only)
  • Six pence
  • Groat = 4 pence
  • 3 pence
  • 2 pence
  • Pence= multiple pennies
  • Penny 
  • Halfpence = 1/2 penny 
  • Farthing (fourth-pence) = 1/4 penny

 

  • Pound = £ or L
  • Shilling = s.
  • Penny = d.

The pound sign stands for Libra, a pound weight in Latin.

The d. stands for denarius (a Roman coin.)

Slang:

  • bob = shilling
  • quid = pound
  • nicker = pound
  • mag = farthing
  • joey = silver threepence
  • threepenny bit = aluminum-bronze threepence
  • tanner = sixpence
  • two-bob bit = florin
  • half-dollar = half-crown
  • bender = sixpence
  • simon = sixpence
  • ned = guinea

French Currency Throughout the Ages

French Coins:

  • Louis d'Or = 4 ecus or 24 livres
  • Écu = 6 livres tournois
  • Franc = 1 livre + 3 deniers
  • Fleur-de-Lis = 2 livres tournois
  • Livre Parisis (Paris Pound) = 25 sous tournois
  • Livre Tournois (Tours Pound) = 20 sous tournois
  • Franc a cheval = 1 livre (1360- 1641)
  • Agnel (Plural Agneaux) = vary from 12 sous +6 deniers to 20 sous
  • Testoon = 10 sous 
  • Sou Parisis = 15 deniers
  • Sou Tournois = 12 deniers
  • Douzains = 12 deniers
  • Blanc = 6 deniers parisis
  • Petit tournois = 6 deniers
  • Centime = 3 deniers
  • Liard = 3 deniers
  • Denier Parisis
  • Denier Tournois
  • Obole = 1/2 denier
  • Pite = 1/4 denier

 

  • Livre = £ or L
  • Sou = s.
  • Denier = d.

Some Things to Note:

-4 livres parisis = 5 livres tournois

-The sou was called a 'sol' until 1715

-The livre parisis (and the sou parisis, denier parisis, etc...) was the official coin of the Capetian dynasty until 1203 when the mint was moved from Paris to Tours. The livre tournois eventually outstripped the livre parisis as a unit of accounting, although the parisis continued to be used in some areas of France until it was abolished in 1667.

-'Sou' is generally understood to mean sous tournois, and likewise for 'denier' and 'livre'


British Equivalents:

  • Livre = Pound
  • Sou = Shilling
  • Denier = Penny
  • Obole = Halfpence
  • Pite = Farthing

Spanish Currencies Through the Ages

Spanish Coins

  • Dubloon = 2 escudos
  • Gold Escudo = 16 reales de plata.
  • Silver Escudo = 10 reales de plata (later 1/4 of gold escudo)
  • Escudo = 2 1/2 pesetas
  • Peso = 8 reales
  • Piaster = 8 reales
  • Peso Sencillo =  6 reales
  • Peseta = 4 reales or 6 sueldos
  • Sueldo = 12 dineros
  • Real de Plata Fuerte = 85 maravedíes
  • Real = 34 maravedies
  • Dinero
  • Maravedí
  • Céntimos de Escudo = 1/100silver escudo

Note: 1 real de plata = 2 reales de vellón

Note: The term 'real' is generally taken to mean real de vellón because the real de vellón suberceded the other reales in the 19th century.

Ancient Currencies

Even more so than medieval currency, it is very difficult to determine a coin's exact value as currency was constantly changing and inflation rates must be taken into consideration. As such, these values should be taken as guidelines, not facts.

Ancient Greek Currencies:

  • Talent = 60 mnas
  • Mna (or mina) = 100 drachmae
  • Stater = 2-3 drachmae
  • Drachma (pl. drachmae) = 6 obols
  • Tetradrachmon = 4 drachmae
  • Obol = 8-12 chalkoi

Note:  The tetradrachmon was the most widely used coin in the Greek world prior to the time of Alexander the Great.

Ancient Roman Currencies
  • Solidus = 24 siliquae
  • Siliqua = 60 aurei
  • Aureus = 25 denarii
  • Antonianus = 2 denarii
  • Follis = 2 denarii
  • Denarius = 4 sestertii
  • Quinarius = 1/2 denarius
  • Sestertius = 2 dupondii
  • Dupondius = 2 asses
  • As = 12 uniciae, 6 sextantes, 4 quadrantes, 2 semises
  • Semis = 2 quadrantes
  • Triens = 2 sextantes, 4 unicae
  • Quadran = 3 unicae
  • Sextan = 2 unicae
  • Unicia 

Indian Currency

British Indian Coins

  • Star pagoda = 42 fanams
  • Mohur = 15 rupees
  • Rupee = 16 annas or 12 fanams
  • Fanam = 80 cash
  • Anna = 4 paise
  • Paisa (pl. Paise) = 3 pies

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