Until 1971, pounds (£) were made up of shillings and pence. There were 20 shillings (s) in a pound, and 12 pence (d) in a shilling. There was a one pound note and a ten shilling note and the coins included a half-crown (2/6), florin (2/-), shilling (1/-), sixpenny bit (6d), threepenny bit (3d), penny, ha'penny and farthing (quarter of a penny).

When the currency went decimal in 1971, instead of having 240 pennies in the £, there were only 100 new pence. After a few years the 'new' was dropped. So 6d became 2½ pence, a shilling became 5p, and so on. The florin became 10 pence, but the half-crown coin disappeared.

Money was worth more in the 1930s than it is now. Dorothy earned £1 a month as a between-maid and £3 a month as a head kitchen-maid. A fifteen mile train ride cost 6d.

a half-crown (eight to a £) and a sixpence (40 to the £)

a 'ten-bob' note as used in the 1930s (not to scale) (two to a £)