and The Mysterious Home Page

Home • DEADline News • Mystery FAQ • Site Guide • About Us • Guestbook • Advertising

For some reason, American mystery fans tend to be Anglophiles, or maybe just Anglofuddled. For additional information on the United Kingdom, take a look at Dr. Dave's UK pages, a guide to all things British, maintained by a Texan. There is also a quick web page to answer your questions about what words mean on the other side of the pond, called Britspeak.

• What is the old/new British monetary system?
• What are O-levels and A-levels, firsts and seconds?
• What is the British academic calendar?
• What are sub-fusc and mufti clothing?
• What is the British police force rank structure?

Q. All my favorite mysteries are British, but I can't figure out their money. Help!
A. The old (pre-1971) system of money was based on one pound (£ ) = 20 shillings (s) = 240 pence (d). After decimalization, the pound is 100 new pence or pennies (p). The chart below shows the different coins that were in circulation at one time or another, and their value. Common bank notes (paper money) include the half-pound, pound (quid), 5-pound (fiver), and 10-pound. Currency converter for finding the value of the pound in $ USD, $ CAD, € Euros, etc.

OLD MONEY                                 NEW MONEY (after 1971)
£ (libra)    = pound                      £  = pound
s (solidus)  = shilling                   
d (denarius) = penny/pence                p = [new] penny/pence (pee)
£1,3/6 = 1 pound, 3 shillings, 6 pence    £1.50 = 1 pound, 50 pence
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
OLD COIN/NOTE                   VALUE       NEW COINS
farthing                        1/4 d
halfpenny (ha'penny)            1/2 d
penny (copper)                    1 d
..............................................1/2 p (discontinued)
twopence (tuppence)               2 d
   -a silver coin, pre-1643, and a copper coin from the reign of 
    George III (1738-1820).
................................................1 p
threepence (thruppence)           3 d
groat 1351-1662                   4 d
fourpence 1836-1856               4 d
................................................2 p
sixpence (tanner)                 6 d
   -note this is not the same as the tenner, a 10-shilling note.
shilling (bob)                   12 d...........5 p
florin                            2 s..........10 p
half crown                        2/6
crown                             5 s 
   -a commemorative coin, rather than common currency.
half-sovereign/half-pound        10 s..........50 p
   -the half-sovereign and sovereign coins were gold and worth 
    far more than the equivalent notes, at least in the 20th century. 
sovereign/pound (quid)           20 s...........£1 coin & note = 100 p
   -the modern 50p and £1 coins are not gold.
guinea                           21 s     equiv £1.05 
   -the guinea has not been minted since 1813, but professional 
    fees and prices for luxury items are still quoted in guineas.

Q. Students in classic British novels are always studying for their O-levels or A-levels, or taking a first or taking a second. What do all these terms mean?
A. From about the mid-1950s, English schoolchildren have taken national examinations that determine their placement in secondary and university education. (I say English because I don't have any information about Scotland or Northern Ireland.) After starting school at age 5 and passing 6 years of primary education, they took the "eleven-plus" exam, which was (I believe) discontinued in the mid-70s. This exam determined whether the student went to a Comprehensive (general) or Grammar (college preparatory) school.

After 5 years of secondary education (roughly age 16), all students took "O" (for ordinary) levels in the 5 to 9 subjects studied. O-levels have now been replaced by the GCSE or General Certificate of Secondary Education. Bright students then continue for another two years of secondary school, referred to as the lower and upper sixth form, specializing in 2 to 4 subjects. The level of intensity is probably at least equal to lower-division US college courses. After that, "A" (for advanced) level exams are taken and their grades used by universities for admission decisions. (No SATs.) Some students stop here, much as some US students stop with an Associate's degree.

For those who go to University, degrees (which usually take three years) are awarded in one of the following categories:

First (roughly equivalent to an honors degree)

Upper second (Dean's List, more or less)

Lower second (borderline to get into grad school)

Third (just scraped by)

Q. I occasionally see references to "Hilary Term" and the like in academic mysteries. What are the university calendars?
A. That depends on the century and the university. In the nineteenth century, Oxford's calendar was divided into Michaelmas Term (Oct-Dec), Hilary Term (Jan-Mar), Easter Term (Mar-Jun), and Trinity Term (Jun-Oct), which Cambridge omitted. [Source: What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew by Daniel Pool.] The modern Oxford University academic year consists of Michaelmas Term (Oct-Dec), Hilary Term (Jan-Mar), and Trinity Term (Apr-Jun). The Cambridge University year comprises Michaelmas Term (Oct-Dec), Lent Term (Jan-Mar) and Easter Term (Apr-Jun).

Q. Just one more, please. What is sub-fusc dress? Is it like mufti?
A. Per the Oxford University website: The University Examination Decrees and Regulations state that all members of the University are required to wear academic dress with subfusc clothing when attending formal university events such as matriculation and university examinations. It consists of:

• For women: A dark skirt or trousers, a white blouse, black tie, black stockings and shoes, and, if desired, a dark coat.
• For men: A dark suit and socks, black shoes, a white bow tie and plain white shirt and collar.

Mufti, however, means civilian dress, worn by those who normally wear a uniform (not restricted to a military uniform).

Q. Police procedurals are my favorites -- can you explain the British police force rank structure?
A. Like their American contemporaries, British police forces tend to have two parallel hierarchies, one for the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) and one for the uniformed police. All recruits start as uniformed constables, and can apply for training as a detective constable (CID) after two years service. Thereafter, they can transfer back and forth from detective to uniformed divisions as they progress through the ranks.

The uniformed ranks and their CID equivalents are:

• Constable (PC) -- Detective Constable (DC)
• Sergeant -- Detective Sergeant (DS)
• Inspector -- Detective Inspector (DI)
• Chief Inspector -- Detective Chief Inspector (DCI)
• Superintendent -- Detective Superintendent (DS)
• Chief Superintendent -- Detective Chief Superintendent (DCS)

The ranks above Chief Supt./DCS depend on whether you are talking about Metropolitan or County police forces. The London Metropolitan Police hierarchy is (rising):

• Commander
• Deputy Assistant Commissioner
• Assistant Commissioner
• Deputy Commissioner
• Commissioner

The English and Welsh County Police Forces rise through:

• Assistant Chief Constable
• Deputy Chief Constable
• Chief Constable

All of these higher ranks are considered uniformed branch.

For more British police information, see the Metropolitan Police web site or the UK police web site.

Home • DEADline News • Mystery FAQ • Site Guide • About Us • Guestbook • Advertising

Text and graphics copyright © 1995-2008 by Kate Derie.
Send your comments and suggestions to cluelass@cluelass.com.