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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

Seven Shillings/week vs. six bob a day


curranl

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Guest dinkidi

G'day

The different "shillings" caused some problems. An old Tommy told me he worked in an English canteen when 3 Diggers had a meal. The Boss worked out their bill at 30 Aussie shillings. The Diggers handed over 10 bob each and walked out. The Boss recalculated as 25/-. He gave this Tommy 5/- to refund them. While chasing after them he realised that 3 into 5/- didn't go, so he kept 2/- and refunded them 1/- each.

He reckoned it had bugged him all his life.

The Diggers' paid out 30/-. this was adjusted to 27/- Tommy kept 2/-.

Everyone knows that 27 & 2 = 29, so where did the extra shilling go?

ooRoo

Pat

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Pat,

An oldy but a goody. It all sounds confusing and doesn't seem to add up but the whole things a bit like a 'double negative'.

There are always 30 shillings no matter what happens. The boss has 25, the Aussies 1 each and the Tommy 2, which equals 30. Looking at it from the other side of the coin (no pun intended) - the Aussies ended up paying 27 shillings for the meal and had one each returned to them which again equals 30.

The way you explain it means the two coins kept by the Tommy are counted twice because they are already amongst the 9 each paid by the Aussies. i.e 9+9+9+2=29. It should correctly read 9+8+8+2=27! Then add the 3 back in the Aussies pockets and it equals 30 again.

Can everyone follow where I'm going with this. The answer seems just as confusing as the question.

And my missus says sitting on the computer is mind numbing...ha!

Tim L.

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The reason for the pay differential is that the British army rate is "all found", but the australians have to buy their own food.

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Don’t take it personally Petrick, the English have always been funny about other people’s money. From personal experience, even in the 1960s, shopkeepers in Newcastle upon Tyne would only give you value equal to 19 shillings and 6 pence for a Scottish pound note

Regards

Michael D.R.

;) I had a Scottish £5 note refused in Watford last year. We're not so daft in Scotland - we'll take English notes!

Marina

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Guest dinkidi
The reason for the pay differential is that the British army rate is "all found", but the australians have to buy their own food.

If that were the case, the Authorities would only have themselves to blame for all those other things "found" by the AIF whilst they were out scavenging for food.

ooRoo

Pat

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