Since the Greeks of Asia Minor invented coined money in the late seventh century BC, the emphasis throughout history has been to focus on minting higher value pieces, with the production of small denomination coins used by 'the poorer sorts' often being neglected. Imagine trying to buy an 80p loaf of bread in the corner shop if our currency consisted only of GBP20 notes. Many people the world over in times past did not have to imagine - this was a conundrum they faced every day. Human ingenuity being what it is, this inconvenience was resolved in many different ways. Here, Peter Johnson explores these responses, from those which were eminently practical to others which, on first sight, appear somewhat bizarre, if not comical. The spotlight is on Britain, exploring both its official and unofficial coinages, though the dilemmas faced in other countries at points of their history are also covered in this, a social and often local history of small change.

About the Author
Peter Johnson has a background in academic research and was a part-time university lecturer. He is a Fellow of the Royal Numismatic Society and has recently gained the Advanced Diploma in Local History at the University of Oxford. In addition, he has been a keen writer of fiction for many years, winning a number of competitions. He has also written a number of local history books for Amberley on North Wales.


Book Information
ISBN 9781445689708
Author Peter Johnson
Format Paperback
Page Count 96
Imprint Amberley Publishing
Publisher Amberley Publishing
Weight(grams) 304g