Furthermore
Gerry Moran
Make no mistake – it’s all about money as evidenced by Trump and his dastardly tariffs and the toll they’re taking on every economy around the world. And I guess we all know the Abba song Money, Money, Money, the chorus of which goes as follows:
“Money, money, money, Must be funny, In the rich man’s world
“Money, money, money, Always sunny, In the rich man’s world.
“Aha, All the things I could do, If I had a little money
It’s a rich man’s world, It’s a rich man’s world.”
Is it really a rich man’s, a rich Musk’s, world? Consider the following which I love:
*Money can buy you a house but not a home.
*With money you can buy a clock but not time.
*Money can buy you a bed but not sleep.
*With money you can buy a book but not knowledge
*Money can buy you a position but not respect.
*With money you can pay a consultant, but you can’t buy good health.
*Money can buy you sex but not love.
Then again, better I guess, to have money than to be in need of it. As the legendary French singer, Edith Piaf, once said: “I’d rather die in the back of a limousine than in a back-street.” Or words to that effect.
Meanwhile, a question: how many words can you come up with for money? I managed to come up with 20. Check out mine at the end of the column.
The word ‘money’ comes from the Latin word ‘moneta’. Moneta was the title given to Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage. Coins were minted at temples dedicated to her, hence the association between the goddess and the currency.
China was the first country to use paper money. The Chinese used promissory notes as they were easier to carry and exchange than metal coins. This revolutionised the concept of money and simplified trading.
The Romans were first to put significant people on their money. The Roman Empire started the practice of depicting rulers on coins. The Romans did so to establish authority and legitimacy.
The first ATM system was installed in London. John Shepherd-Barron was credited with the invention of the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and the first model was installed in 1967 in Enfield, London. Three years later the British engineer James Goodfellow created the concept of the personal identification number (PIN).
The US dollar is the most traded currency. Due to it being the main trading standard, the dollar can be classified as the most used currency. It’s followed by the euro, the Japanese Yen, and the British Pound.
The euro symbol has Greek origin. The symbol (€) is based on the Greek epsilon, which is the first letter of the word Europe. The two horizontal lines symbolise the stability of the Euro (we hope).
You can fold and unfold a US dollar note 4.000 times. According to the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing, you would have to fold, and unfold, a dollar note around 4.000 times before it tears. But who the hell cares?
Finally: the top 20 most valuable Irish coins: 20. 1935 six pence; 1933 three pence; 1933 half penny. 19. 1931 shilling. 18. 1933 shilling. 17. 1940 penny. 16. 1933 Half Crown. 15. 1930 Florin (2 Shilling) 14. 1930 half crown. 13. 1930 shilling. 12. 1931 florin 11. 1933 florin 10. 1931 half crown. 9. 1961 half crown. 8. 1934 florin 7. 1937 florin 6. 1937 half crown. 5. 1985 half penny 4. 1937 shilling. 3. 1943 half crown. 2. 1985 20 pence. 1. 1943 florin (worth about €8,400).
So, start rummaging and rooting, folks, you might be lucky.
My answers: Bread. Bucks. Cash. Dough. Greenbacks. Boodie. Moolah. Shillings. Dosh. Readies. Lolly. Stash. Smackeroos. Spondulix. Tender. Tin. Brass. Quid. Loot. Bob.
Finally, finally, Turkish proverb that complements my opening sentence: If you put a clown in a palace, he doesn’t become a king; instead the palace becomes a circus.
