On 11/01/2019 12:29, Tim Streater wrote:
In article , Robin
wrote:

On 11/01/2019 11:37, Tim Streater wrote:
In article , NY
wrote:

Would you prefer to add up a column of prices in £p or in £sd, with
all the latter's carry-after-you-reach-12 and
carry-after-you-reach-20 complications.

Which, when they were in use, never gave anyone any trouble at all.


That is not my recollection.Â* I recall all too clearly:

a.Â* the time taken to calculate in LSD

b.Â* the complexity of a mechanical calculator capable of dealing with
LSD direct

c.Â* the complexity of using a decimal calculator to multiply LSD amounts

Most people could do mental arithmetic back then.


I'd like to see you draw up using mental arithmetic the invoice for

14 wotsits at £21 15s 11d
37 widgets at £13 4s 6d (less 7.5% discount for order over 2 dozen)
2 gross round tuits at £1 3s 7d (less 6% discount for order over a gross)

I grew up "back then" and people who had to do that sort of thing
routinely were bloody glad not to have to do so by hand. Even the
calculators designed for Sterling usually only handled addition and
subtraction. And while there were tables to convert from LSD to
fractions of a pound and back again so as to use decimal calculators it
weren't for the faint-hearted.

And then until 1969 there was the halfpenny.


--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid