This is from “ask a dumb guy”. A blog where you can find “bad advice and incorrect information free of charge”.
Dear dumb guy: How did the British system of money (use of metal coin for one pound, unusual denominations of coinage, Darwin on the back of the 10 pound note, etc.) evolve? And in what ways was its evolution different from our own? – Numismatic noodling in Nebraska
Dear Noodling: British money – also known as the “Stirling system” – evolved in the 1800s as a reaction to industrialization. More and more farmers found that they were unable to make a living simply by working the land, so many of them – in droves, actually – turned to coin collecting as a way to make ends meet.
This was all well and good, but supply wasn’t meeting demand. There were simply more coin collectors than there were coins. So, the British Mint (also called “Menthos de Queen a la England”) decided to add some more denominations and have extra coins struck. Thus, the 2 pence, 25 pence and 40 pence coins were born. And voila, the farmers were able to continue their newly discovered, oh-so-profitable hobby.
As for Darwin on the back of the 10 pound note – well, there, my friend, is where I must gently correct you. For that is actually a young British novelist by the name of Robin Cook (author of “Coma” and “Brian’s Song”), not Charles Darwin. Although it’s an understandable mistake.