Althought I can't answer WHY some people continued to use the British
system of money, in the 1819-1872 records of a local school district in
Niagara Co., that I transcribed, in 1841, 1843 and 1847, it was recorded
that the price per cord of wood needed for the schoolhouse was 12
shillings (written as "12/").  Before and after that, the amount of
money was written in dollars and cents.  My only conclusion is that the
"oldtimers" continued to think and/or deal in those terms.

Vee Housman
Trustee, Town of Porter Historical Society
Youngstown, NY

Burrows wrote:
>
> Can anyone out there provide any information on when New Yorkers stopped
> using the British system of pounds, shilling, and pence? In 1797 the state
> legislature officially endorsed the decimal dollar system established by
> Congress in the 1792 Coinage Act, but I seem to recall that some people
> continued to use the British system as late as the 1820s. I have no
> idea why, however.
>
> Ted Burrows
> Department of History
> Brooklyn College