The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1910-03-11
'GU|NEAS AND POUNDS
More Than the Mere Shilling Diff
ference Between Them.


and In Payments.
Sunny thing" said the writer, who
had just received check for e. Is.
from London, show the editor over in
England paid me in guineas, not In
English pounds. In fact, it would be
an insult il the editor had simply paid
me e..
They've two kinds Of money over
there. One kind is straight business
money. An even E2 would have meant
In effect that had performed rou-
tine job Of some kind, such as compil-
ing table Of statistics for the editor,
and that ! was being paid for mechan-
ical labor.
But the editor adds an extra shil-
ling to every pound he pays me. This
means that am not supposed to have
performed any labor at all, but to have
created a work Of art and submitted
this work Of art otherwise literature
for arts sake.
Ny check is written Two guineas,'
and the envelope in which 1t is sent
me is addressed John Smith, ESQ.,
This In effect is second recognition
that have submitted piece OF liter
airy art. Yet the figures on the check
are .f2 2s.' to prevent errors in book
keeping.
IF I'd been on the star Of the pc
riodical my salary. would be paid me
in pounds sterling. for then I'd be
supposed to be working for pay and,
according to English ideas, no longer a
gentleman.
These two kinds Of money, guineas
and pounds, show up in many curious
ways. lAn professional men are paid
IN guineas. # you are running a big
private school you make a charge in
guineas for tuition, and parents Of
your pupils pay you in guineas be-
cause you're supposed to be merely
engaging In an altruistic, philanthropic
project of building Drawn and brain
for Britain. But you pay the teachers
in your school in pounds sterling, for
they're supposed to be working for
pay, not for love.
IF you're doctor you make your
bills for professional services out in
guineas Barristers are paid in gum
cas-. Horse race prizes are given in
guineas for all gentlemen's races.
The most curious mixture Of all is
the clergyman's pay. This is d queer
mixture Of commercial and profession
al ideas. The charge OF parish is
known as living and is paid in
pounds sterling, but If wedding or a
christening takes place In the parish
the clergyman receives personal fee,
always guineas instead OF pounds.
Artists are paid in guineas. The
late James MacNeill Whistler. who had
a delightful habit Of turning a keen
wit on friends and making enemies
thereby. was once paid for work If
art in pounds sterling. delicate i'm
plicati0n that Whistler was a dauber
and a tyro.
Two trades are paid in guineas for
goods purchased. but other trades are
paid in pounds sterling. These trades
are the interior decorator and the Jew
eler. The jewelers. goods are suppos-
ed toSbe works Of art, and such com
mercial articles as watch chains and
watches are priced in guineas. Ger
tain swell and exclusive London tai
lors, to whom you have to be intro
duced, by the way, charge you in
guineas for the coats and trousers they
consent to make for you.
Directors Of companies were for.
merly paid in gpineas for their attend
ance. They are now paid in pounds
sterling. but when pound sterling is
in minted gold it isn't a pound sterling
any more. but sovereign.
THE idea is that directors Of COM
panies are always feed in gold, and as
sovereigns only are coined now they
are paid In sovereigns. The only ex-
ception is the directorate OF the Bank
OF England The members OF the
board are paid in golden guineas. part
OF small store kept in the bank and
dated in the early years Of the last
century.
"A gentleman wagers with his
friends In guineas. He buys a hunter
or pony polo from a friend In gum
cas-, but in pounds from a horse trad
er, But II he is buying work horse
from friend and equal he pays In
pounds sterling.
II gentleman wagers with a book
maker at race track he posts his bet
IN pounds. If he tries to break the
bank at Monte Carlo he puts up his
wagers on the roulette wheel in gold
twenty frame pieces and speaks Of his
winnings or losses In pounds sterling,
while he mentions his winnings or
losses at bridge, paid in gold. in gum
cas-.
There are hundreds Of delicate dis
tinctions in British etiquette in the
matter Of money. One of the most
curious is that of certain London
club where the members receive their
change In gold, silver and penny post
age stamps neither nanar ynonou NOR