Foremost among all nations of the earth in the magnitude of its commerce, its vast colonial possessions and dependencies, and consequently its importance as the chief financial center, Great Britain furnishes the most interesting study of the money of the world. Every school child can tell you the money of account of Great Britain. To us it seems a complicated, cumbersome systern. The pound sterling is equal to 20 shillings, each shilling being equal to 12 pence, and each penny equal to 4 farthings. Without exception the sovereign is the most universally recognized coin, and, except the Egyptian pound, it is the largest of units of money. Its actual value in our money is about $4.87.