COLLECTING fares in the black-out, I approached an old lady who kept me waiting while she made quite sure her pennies were not half-crowns, says an English bus conductor.
"Feel the edges, lady," I said. "You can always tell that way."
She thanked me, and when she was getting out she pressed a coin into my hand, saying: "That tips worth knowing, Get yourself a packet of cigarettes."
I thanked her, and when she had gone felt the edge of the coin. It was a farthing.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.