Oul money
Author: Darren Gibson
Date: 2013
Source: Ullans: The Magazine for Ulster-Scots, Nummer 13 Hairst 2013
Darren Gibson
The following article is a revised version of one that originally appeared in the Belfast Telegraph.
Oniebodie unner foartie wull hae nae mine o oul money (pre-decimalised coinage). Tae thaim, shillins an tanners an thruppeny-bits ir naethin bit wurds fae oul films an buiks. Bit tae oniebodie boarn weel afore nineteen an seiventie yin, oul money is pert o thur youth. It’s whut ye boucht yer jujubes wi. It’s hoo ye peyed fer tha flicks. It’s whut ye goat in yer furst pey packet.
Oul money wus near aa awa by tha time A wus a wean, bit ma granfaither kep a wee tartan purse fu o oul coins in haes room. A hae mine o hoakin thru them oul coins, separatin oot tha yins fae foreign kintries, fae tha yins they uist tae uise at hame.
Noo A’ll alloo, as much as A fin aa thaim oul coins fascinatin, A’m a kine o gled that we dinnae hae tae wark wi puns, shillins an pence nooadays. A’m no sure A cud git ma heid roon thur bein twa hunner and foartie pence in tha pun. Or that a shillin wus worth twal pence an no 5p like whun A wus a wean.
Fer aa tha folk that niver heerd tell o’ oul money, A’m gan tae gie ye a run doon o’ tha denominations, tha wye ye’ll hae nae boather unnerstannin it aa.
We’ll stert wi tha five pun note, whuch wus prentit oan muckle sheets o thin, white paper. Nixt cum tha pun note worth twunty shillin’s, folliet by tha ten bob note. Tha coins sterted wi a half croon, at sim folk caa’ed a half dollar — thon wus worth 2/6. Then a florin or twa shillins or twa bob, folliet wi yin bob worth twal pence. Then cum a sixpence caa’ed a tanner an a threepence caa’ed a thruppenny-bit. Noo we’r doon tae a penny, twa o whuch gien ye tuppence. Bit we’r no daen yit, fer thur wus half a penny known as a ha’penny and finally half o thon agane caa’ed a fardin.
Noo I hope aa thon readers unner foartie hae got aa that. An if ye hivnae, jist bae gled ye ainly hae tae coont tae ten.
