Peter Braun wrote in the previous digest: "The currency of the Dutch is
the Florin.  Guilder is just an equivalent".   Sorry to tell, but he is
making several mistakes.  The currency of the Dutch is "gulden".

The English translation for this word is "Guilder".  The symbol for the
"gulden" is "fl", based upon the Italian "Florine", which coin was the
model for the original Dutch "gulden", made out of gold.  That's why the
coin was named "Gulden".  The meaning of this word literally is "made out
of gold".

So if we see the price of an article that costs, say, 15 guilders, we
see "f 15,00" (with a comma, not a dot), and we read and say "vijftien
gulden", and not "vijftien florins".

Jan Kijlstra

 [ The parallel in the US is the name of the metal 5-cent ($0.05) coin:
 [ the "nickel".  But due to inflation, nowadays it may cost you 2 or 5
 [ "nickels" (or more) to play the Nickelodeon ! -- Robbie