The Busy Man's Hand-Book

Historical, geographical, scriptural, scientific, legal, social, mercantile and medical information, condensed into one volume for someone with no time to look further.

Moneys of the World

44 pages in this part of The Busy Man's Hand-Book.

Burma or Ava

= Money is reckoned decimally as in China. No coin is minted. The circulating medium is composed chiefly of gold and silver bullion, which…

Cape Town

Money is reckoned in this colony in sterling; accounts are kept in pounds, shillings and pence. The currency consists of a small quantity…

Cape Town: British

COLOMBo. = Accounts are now generally stated in Government rupees or sterling. The circulating medium is composed of notes for £1 and…

Cape Town: Chinese

Accounts are stated by foreign merchants in dollars and cents, but by the Chinese in taels (leang), of 10 mace (tseen), 100 candareens…

Colombia, United States Of

Money is reckoned in this republic in pesos or current dollars of 8 reals. There is no special coinage. At Guatemala bills on London are…

Measures and Weights (I The Metric System Introduced)

I. The Metric System, Introduced 1795, but imperfectly established until 1840, is based upon the metre, the estimated ten-millionth part of…

German Empire (Kingdoms Prussia Hanover)

Kingdoms. Prussia, Hanover, Bavaria, Saxony, Wurtemberg. Duchies Etc.-Baden, Brunswick, Hesse Darmstadt, Mecklenburg, Saxe-Coburg…

Measures and Weights (French metrical system)

The French metrical system of measures and weights with German names has been in force since 1872.

British Settlements

In Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice, accounts are stated in dollars of 100 cents. And the currency consists, besides dollars and British…

Dutch Settlements

In Paramaribo and the other parts of Surinam possessed by Holland, accounts are stated in guilders or florins of 100 cents Netherlands…

Guinea and Senegambia

The dollar is the principal medium of exchange. At Sierra Leone and Cape Coast Castle, British silver coins are also in circulation, and…

Measures and Weights (Modern system introduced)

The modern system, introduced in 1820, is the same as that of France, but with the old Dutch nomenclature. The elle or metre of 10 palms =…

Measures and Weights: Government

Smaller payments are made in copper pice, half annas, and quarter annas. The principal gold coin is the mohur of the same weight and…

Measures and Weights: Accounts

The native coins are now superseded by dollars, etc., minted at Osaka. The silver yen of 100 sens, weighing 416 troy grains, 9-10ths fine…

Measures and Weights: Spanish

Accounts are kept by the Government in sterling, but by the mercantile classes in scudi of 12 tari, each of 20 grani. 21½ scudi = 1 pezza…

Measures and Weights: Portuguese

The French metrical system of measures and weights was introduced in 1860; but, as the old Portuguese measures and weights continue in use…

Measures and Weights: Lisbon

The Lisbon almude, liquid measure, of 2 pots, 12 canadas, or 48 quartilhos, = 3.64 Imp. gallons; the baril is 18, the pipe 26, and the…

Measures and Weights: Chinese

The fathom of 4 cubits, or 8 spans, = 61½ feet; 20 fathoms = 1 sen; and 100 sen = 1 yuta. The sen is also a square measure of 20 fathoms to…

Confederated Cantons

Schaffhausen; Thurgau; Zurich; Aargau; Basle; Soleure; Berne; Lucerne; Zug; Schweitz; St. Gall; Appenzell; Glarus; Uri; Unterwalden…

United States (Integer of account)

The integer of account is the dollar ($), which contains 100 cents, and (at par) is equivalent to 4s. 1d. sterling nearly.

The Busy Man's Hand-Book (Foreign Coins On March an Act)

Foreign Coins.-On March 3, 1843, an Act was passed, under which the following foreign gold coins are allowed currency by weight: Those of…

Exchange Regulations, Etc

1 The par of exchange with Britain, deduced from the gold coins, is 49 pence per dollar, equal $4.86% cents per £1 sterling. But in…

Measures and Weights (These are the same)

These are the same as in Britain, except the measures of capacity, which continue to be those used in England prior to the introduction of…

Caraccas. La Guayra

The integer of account was the dollar of 100 cents, as in NEW GRANADA; but the pesos Macquina are now superseded by a new peso equal to 5…

Bermuda Islands

St. George; Ireland Island.

French Islands

Martinique; Guadaloupe; Mariegalante, etc.

Dutch Islands

St. Eustatious; St. Martin; Curaçao.

Danish Islands

St. Thomas; St. Croix; St. John.

Economy, and the Public Accounts

Abandonment, in Marine Insurance, is the relinquishment in a case of loss, of whatever may be saved to the insurer. Accepter, a person who…

Economy, and the Public Accounts: Average

Average, in Marine Insurance, a common term for losses at sea when not total. Particular Average is partial damage directly occasioned by…

Economy, and the Public Accounts: Capital

Capias, Eng., a writ of arrestment. The Capias ad Satisfaciendum (or Ca Sa) commands the defendant to be taken and kept till his debt be…

Economy, and the Public Accounts: Credit

Course of Exchange, proceedings regulating exchange. Credit is where an engagement to pay is accepted instead of actual payment; also, in a…

Economy, and the Public Accounts: Exchequer

Estoppel, Eng., a bar to an action arising from a man's own act or deed. Exchange, the process of settling accounts between distant…

Economy, and the Public Accounts: Interest

Interdiction, Scot., a legal restraint laid on those in danger of suffering by their perfusion or facility. Interest, the consideration for…

Economy, and the Public Accounts: Letter

Letter or Power of Attorney, a deed authorizing one person to act for another. Letter of Credit, a letter authorizing the person addressed…

Economy, and the Public Accounts: Policy

Open Policy. See Policy.

Economy, and the Public Accounts: Scot

Poinding, Scot., an adjudication and sale of movables for debt. Policy, the deed embodying the contract of insurance. In Marine insurance a…

Economy, and the Public Accounts: Premium

Premium, the sum given for the share of an undertaking above its original value. Premium, in Insurance, the consideration given by the…

Economy, and the Public Accounts: Rent

Quit Rent, Eng., a small rent payable by tenants of manors, and by which they go free.

Economy, and the Public Accounts: French

Rest, a term applied both to the period of stock-taking and balancing of a merchant, and to the balance of undivided profit at that period…

Economy, and the Public Accounts: Marine

Salvage Losses, in Marine Insurance, are where the goods are saved, and sold short of their destination, being unfit for reshipment. Scire…

Economy, and the Public Accounts: Account

Shroffage, in Indian commerce is the scrutiny of coins and separation of the good from the debased, usually performed by a Shroff, or…

Economy, and the Public Accounts: English

Stated Account, in the English law of accounts, is an account settled whether it be signed or not.

Economy, and the Public Accounts: Taxes

Syndicate, parties privileged to finance public loans, etc. Tare, a deduction from the gross weight of goods on account of the package…

Rights & ReuseThe complete text of The Busy Man's Hand-Book (1892) is in the public domain in the United States — like all works published before 1928 — and is free to read, download, quote, teach from, and reuse. This digital edition (its transcription, restored images, and site design) is © 2026 PhotoOpAI, and any editorial commentary we add is clearly marked as ours; the underlying public-domain text carries no such restriction.