The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1112: Chapter 103: My Struggle

For Europeans, the British system of weights and measures is almost an extremely anti-human conversion system.

But if there’s something in Europe more preposterous than the British system of weights and measures, it must be the currency system of the German States.

If a merchant departs from Switzerland to do business in Berlin, he will pass through ten German States, exchanging ten different currencies and paying taxes ten times.

Although the frequency of paying taxes has reduced considerably after the establishment of the German Customs Union in Northern Germany, currency exchange has never been unified.

In these times, if you don’t carry twenty to thirty kinds of currency with you, you’d be embarrassed to tell others you’re doing business in Germany.

It’s worth noting that, even though dozens of currencies are still used in the Germanic Region, this is already the result of Napoleon’s relentless efforts. Before Napoleon completely disbanded the Holy Roman Empire, the types of currency in the Germanic Region peaked at around over six thousand.

However, for a traveler like Arthur, collecting different German currencies is considered a pleasant pastime during the journey.

While dining in roadside inns, he often exchanged currencies with local Junker Nobility and farmers.

Within just ten days, his pockets were filled with gold and silver coins from various states and different historical periods.

For example, the Brandenburg half thaler silver coin from 1735, commemorating the King’s death, and engraved with the King ascending to the sun upon his passing.

The 1744 gold coin issued by the Frankfurt Free City, engraved with city sceneries and the Roman Eagle Standard. The quarter ducat silver coin issued in 1792 to commemorate the coronation of the last Holy Roman Empire Emperor, Franz.

The large 6 Kreuzer silver coin issued by the Free City of Hamburg to commemorate the demise of the Holy Roman Empire.

Of course, Arthur’s favorite coin is undoubtedly the 1 Ducat gold coin issued by the Austrian Empire in 1826, imprinted with the portrait of Francis I.

Being as famous as Florins, the Ducat coin often appears in various historical records and novels.

Both gold coins contain about 3.5 grams of gold, thus can generally be exchanged at equal value.

In the 17th century, a twelve-pound falcon cannon required 190 Ducats Coins, while a three-pound hawk cannon took 97 Ducats Coins.

By merely looking at the numbers, one can’t imagine whether cannons were expensive or cheap. However, when comparing a knight’s standard gear against them, a fair judgment can be made.

Arthur remembers clearly that, at the same time, a set of Knight’s Full Armor only cost 35 Florins, and a warhorse was priced at 30 Florins.

This means you only need 227.5 grams of gold to purchase the basic equipment for a cavalryman. Yet, equipping a single artilleryman costs a minimum of 654.5 grams of gold, because, apart from the artillery, you need three horses to pull the cannon forward.

However, these currency collecting pleasures are confined to leisure adjustments amid travel boredom; when Arthur firmly stood on the land of Germany, he finally realized how troublesome currency confusion was.

Although the Kingdom of Hanover and Great Britain share the King, the two countries are not close enough to share the currency.

Thus, as soon as Arthur and his entourage got off the train, they rushed to the local bank in Gottingen to exchange currency.

According to the currency system of the Kingdom of Hanover, 120 Pfennig = 60 Groschen = 10 Shield = 5 Thaler = 1 Ducat.

And since a 1 Ducat gold coin contains 3.5 grams of gold, it’s roughly equivalent to half a British Pound.

But don’t think that just because there are 5 currency units, there are only five types of currency, for the Thaler itself includes three varieties: half, quarter, and sixth thaler coins.

Even though the British are equally troublesome in this regard, the Hanoverian counterparts still showed Arthur the meaning of ’little witch meets a grand witch.’

However, the annoyance in Arthur’s view is seen as a different sensation by others.

When you see someone walking out of the bank with jingling small cloth bags full of gold and silver coins in each hand, it’s truly hard not to suspect this guy is essentially flaunting his wealth.

And Clara felt exactly this way; sitting in the carriage, watching Arthur walk out of the bank, she felt the aura of a nouveau riche almost overshadowing the young man’s inherent British gentlemanly demeanor.

Arthur boarded the carriage and gently closed the door, hearing Clara’s murmuring as soon as he got in: ”My God! Are you really a British noble?”

”Hmm?”

Arthur turned to look at Clara, courteously took off his hat and smiled: ”Though not a noble, indeed a knight. I apologize for deceiving you before, Miss Clara. Let me reintroduce myself, Arthur Hastings, Junior Knight of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. If you don’t mind, you may call me Sir or Arthur. If you do mind, you can continue calling me a university student, which isn’t incorrect at all, since I indeed attended university, though graduated several years ago.”

After speaking, Arthur placed one of the two bags in his hands into Clara’s, the hefty weight almost kept her from standing up.

”What are you doing?” Clara asked in astonishment.

Arthur replied: ”Though I know not how you got entangled with the Royalists, yet since we meet again, it’s a kind of fate. I genuinely feel sorry for bringing you from the bustling world of Paris to Gottingen, this countryside town. Moreover, when traveling one always needs money, and this bag contains a hundred Thaler coins and thirty Ducat coins, plus a hundred pound promissory note from Rothschild Bank at the bottom. If you wish not to stay here, you can use this money to find a place to settle down and start anew. Alternatively, if I have the honor, I’d like to employ you to handle some trivial chores at home, and treat this money as the signing bonus.”