Historical Notes from our Archive Richard Ford’s visit to Gibraltar, 1845

 

Ford continues by informing travellers of the currency in use in Gibraltar:

“Mem.—English silver coins are scarcely ever used except by travellers. The value of a shilling is only 11d., in mixed copper and silver money, or 2 reals and 11 quartos; English 6d. changes for 5½d. or 1 real 6 quartos. The copper coins are a mixture, a few from every nation: none go for more than 2 quartos, except the English penny.

The English at Gibraltar have Anglicized Spanish moneys; the letters D, R, and Q, above, mean dollars, duros, royals, reales, and quarts, quartos. The Pesos Fuertes are usually called “hard dollars;” the onza is called the doubloon, and is divided into only twelve imaginary reals. The comparative value of English and Spanish moneys has at last been fixed by proclamation at 50 pence the dollar, and at this exchange the civil officers and troops are paid. The real value of the dollar varies in mercantile transactions according to the exchange, being sometimes as low as 48 pence, at other times as high as 54. Letters of credit on the principal Spanish towns can be procured from the Gibraltar merchants, Mr. S. Benoliel, Turner and Co., or Messrs. Cavalleros.”