King's Shilling

[Brit_Guy]

 [P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"]It is [?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /][st1:country-region w:st="on"][st1:place w:st="on"]England[/st1:place][/st1:country-region] in the 1700s, you are in a pub enjoying a tankard of beer, and then you come across a coin (shilling), what does this mean?

 [P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"][?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /][o:p] [/o:p]

 [P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt"][SPAN style="mso-list: Ignore"](a)[SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"]    [/SPAN][/SPAN]The barmaid put it there because she fancies you like mad.

 [P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt"][SPAN style="mso-list: Ignore"](b)[SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"]   [/SPAN][/SPAN]You've won free beer for the evening.

 [P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; TEXT-INDENT: -18pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt"][SPAN style="mso-list: Ignore"](c)[SPAN style="FONT: 7pt 'Times New Roman'"]    [/SPAN][/SPAN]Well done you've just joined the kings navy.

[TehBorken]

 "C".  

In Nelson's time press gangs would buy unwitting sailors  a drink and at the bottom of the tankard was a shilling coin. If the (unwitting) recruit drank all the beer he was said to have "accepted the shilling payment" for service on one of the Royal Navy ships. This was called 'Taking the kings shilling' and thus tankards came to have clear bases so revellers could lift it up to see if they were signing up to life at sea before drinking.
   

[Gopher]

Go to the top of the class, TehBorken!

[TehBorken]

 Gopher wrote:
Go to the top of the class, TehBorken!

I thought everyone knew the answer to that.  

(Just kidding, I cheated (yay for Google). I had no idea, but then that's the wonderful thing about cheating. lol)

[Brit_Guy]

 [P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 46.3pt 0pt 0cm"][SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"]TehBorken, welldone cheat..lol[/SPAN]

 [P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 46.3pt 0pt 0cm"][SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"][?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /][o:p] [/o:p][/SPAN]

 [P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 46.3pt 0pt 0cm"]If you hold the King's shilling (coin) in your hand that means that you have just signed a contract to join the King's Navy. Later on all tankards were made with clear bottoms, to enable the guy to easily see the coin....Although when you are drunk out of your skull...I shouldn't think you could see or think clearly anyway..lol

 [P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 46.3pt 0pt 0cm"][o:p] [/o:p]

 [P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 28.3pt 0pt 0cm"][A href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/beyond/factsheets/makhist/makhist7_prog8b.shtml"]More information on the King's shilling here[/A]

[Gopher]

I wonder what the present day equivalent would be - now that there's neither King nor shilling?  

[Mutilated Mind]

 Gopher wrote:
I wonder what the present day equivalent would be - now that there's neither Queen nor shilling?

What, no Queen ?
Where did she go ?

 

[Future Canadian]

The present day equivalent would be turning 18 and being required to register with Selective Service. If only avoiding it could be as easy as checking the bottom of your glass.

[Gopher]

Sorry, Mutilated Mind, I meant no king!!!! I'll alter it on the original.  

[Lise]

Well, that's two seconds of my life wasted.

  I'm kidding!!!! Interesting fact.

[kingy]

any known stories about a sailor getting drunk and actually drinking the coin?

[Brit_Guy]

 Kingy. There's northing about drunk sailor's swollering coins, i did find this news story tho.

[div class="mxb"][div class="sh"]350 coins found in man's stomach
[/div][/div]                                                                                                      [!-- S BO --] [!-- S IIMA --]           [table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="203"]          [tbody][tr][td]                           

[Lise]

I can NEVER understand ppl's fascination with eating things that are NOT food yet fights with us whenever they come to the dental chair.