I remember standing at a till (that’s British for “cash register,” by the way) trying to pay for a sandwich, holding up a ten-pence piece like it was Excalibur, only to be told I was about £4.90 short. I stared at the coin, betrayed by its girthy confidence. “But it’s so big,” I whispered. The cashier, bless her, just smiled and pointed to the label on the coin. Yes, they do actually print the value on each one, presumably because even the locals need a reminder now and then.