Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 16.djvu/761

Rh  coins are introduced, e.g., in France, 2-franc and 5-franc pieces. In fact, most modern currencies are a combination of the and binary systems, England alone adhering to a modified duodecimal scale. A has for the last sixty years been proposed for England, and it is almost certain that if any one scheme could be pointed out as much preferable to any other it would be accepted. As it is, there are two or three proposals, each commanding some support, while many advocates of the prefer to wait till an international agreement for its adoption can be obtained. One of the schemes advanced takes the present farthing as its base; then 10farthings=1doit (2d.); 10doits=1florin (2s. 1d.); 10florins=1pound (20s. 10d.). The advantages of this plan are: (1)that the smaller coins now in use could be preserved (the penny being 4 farthings), (2)retail prices, which are for the smaller articles estimated in pence, need not be altered, (3)nor need those which affect postage, tolls, and mileage charges. Against these may be set the loss of the unit of value, the pound, which should be raised to 20s. 10d., so that all accounts, and all large  

 III.— of the more important non-an.

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