Hello Poldi,

Thank you so much for your input.  I found it very interesting.  Being the wife of a career Military man I have lived in several different foreign countries.  (some more foreign than others -LOL)  When first arriving in a new country the money system was always a nightmare until we learned about the value of each piece of currency and many is the time I have just held out my hand with a bunch of money in it not having a clue of the value of each different piece.  I venture to say that I don't think we have ever been cheated - the natives were always glad to help especially if we smiled and laughed at our own stupidity.  Our young daughters always learned the different languages so much faster than we did and so many times the shopkeepers and door to door merchants ended up talking with them and they in turn would inform me of what the devil was going on.  What fun memories..

Thanks again and I must say my husband also gets his thrills watching the Fox business channel and the fluxing of the stock Market.  Especially now when things are in a bit of a pickle.  We are too old to gamble in the stock market anymore but I actually think that now is a VERY good time to invest if you have several years to wait for the COME.

Take care everyone - there really is a light at the end of the tunnel - I saw it just the other day for a second or two.

fern
www.bufordfamilies.com
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems but it will annoy enough people to make it  well worth the effort....

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Poldi Tonin 


  See:
  http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/moneyold.htm

  The above URL will give an explanation of British currency.

  In 1971, the currency became decimalized.  Therefore Colonial  equivalence
  should be figured using the old method. And we need to keep in mind that the
  nominal value of currency is not the purchasing power of currency.
  Considering the value of the dollar today could cause researchers in the
  future to think that everyone was affluent. But with devaluation during
  recessions and depressions the face value of the Colonial pound and the
  current dollar is misleading when figuring the cash wealth or cash costs of
  the citizenry.

  Also we need to keep in mind which commodities were in a state of flux on
  any day. Pork bellies vs wheat, oil vs gold, soybeans vs beef. [As an
  elder-person with fragile joints who forgoes rides on Roller Coasters, I get
  my heart a-racing and thrills watching the stock market. ;-) ]

  Prior to 1971, it was so awfully confusing. Tourists used to have a big
  problem traveling in England and had pockets full of coins to hand out to
  merchants and relied upon their honesty to take the correct amount. And
  making a comparison of costs was a nightmare.

  Poldi



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