I see a visage on the mirror,
One of virility and maturity
I hold a straight edge blade,
Close to my lathered face
Two sides for several strokes
And gone are the aged horns
A splash of water reveals
A new visage on the mirror,
One of ambition and youth.
A
pound
Sterling –
two forty
Saxon hammered coins;
silver pennies or “little stars1”.
It
was
Offa
of Mercia,
eighth century king2,
first issued the silver penny,
and two hundred and forty weighed one pound or libra.
He
copied
the Roman
denarius coin
so one penny became “1d.”
and twelve of these equalled one solidus, or “1s.”
And
thus
became
L.s.d. –
Pounds, shillings and pence.
Sad
day
annus horribilis
nineteen sev’nty one
when decimalisation came
and Great Britain lost her monetary heritage.
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