Fourpence Vs The Groat - Coin Community Forum

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Author	Replies: 6 / Views: 2,064
uouo77 Valued Member United States 125 Posts	Posted 01/28/2010 10:42 am OK - I know 4 pence is a groat. However, in a lot of my research, I notice that when a coin has the Maundy "Crowned Value in Wreath" design. people call it a Fourpence, but when it doesn't, it is referred to as a Groat. Is there some kind of fine line I don't know about? I might also add that this is not the case with all my research. I also know it is a very minor point, but I just can't get it out of my mind, so what better place to get information then here :) Thanks Edited by uouo77 01/28/2010 10:52 am Report this Post to the Staff

Sap Moderator Australia 16839 Posts	Posted 01/28/2010 5:20 pm The name "groat" fell out of common everyday usage once the groat was replaced by the threepence in the 1500's. When they were re-introduced in the mid-1800's as a circulating coin, regular folks had forgotten that they used to be called groats, and invented a new nickname for them: "joeys". In practice, numismatists routinely call the older ones "groats", but the more modern ones "fourpence". But it's not wrong to treat "groat" and "fourpence" as interchangeable. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis Report this Post to the Staff
alganbagerap Pillar of the Community United Kingdom 2490 Posts	Posted 01/28/2010 6:59 pm The nickname "joey" subsequently transferred to the silver threepence, and its later incarnation. Report this Post to the Staff
uouo77 Valued Member United States 125 Posts	Posted 01/28/2010 11:55 pm I understand - A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet :) Thanks for the information. Report this Post to the Staff
Archraz Pillar of the Community United States 3499 Posts	Posted 01/29/2010 1:48 pm Hmm, interesting topic. So was there any nickname for the three pence after the 1500s? Also, I just wonder where these nick names came from. Why is a pound still called a "quid?" Why was a shilling (and now the 5 pence) called a "bob." And why was/is 20 pounds called a "pony?" Report this Post to the Staff
alganbagerap Pillar of the Community United Kingdom 2490 Posts	Posted 01/29/2010 2:26 pm Archraz, here's your starter: http://www.businessballs.com/moneyslanghistory.htm Report this Post to the Staff
svslav Pillar of the Community United States 2605 Posts	Posted 02/21/2010 01:16 am Quote from a glossary: Quote: Groat - A coin to the value of fourpence, first issued in the reign of Edward I and struck for use up until the time of Victoria. The coin is struck today for inclusion in the Maundy set. Basically, as Sap said, the names mean the same. The word was derived from the French gros and the Italian grosso, roughly translated it means great or thick. In the 1260's the French had successfully introduced a large silver coin with the value similar to groat, the gros tournois. With England's European trade increasing the Brits felt a need of a large (for those times) denomination. Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 6 / Views: 2,064

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