Of late, I’ve found myself rather hacked off by those hideous Mastercard adverts in which we are informed that borrowing lots of money from them is priceless. They seem to have been around forever.
So what if they had?
1888
Black suit, top hat and Inverness: Ten pounds, six shillings
Knives of finest Sheffield steel: Three guineas
Carriage ride to Whitechapel: Two shillings and sixpence
Cleansing the streets of filthy whores: Priceless
Or possibly…
2450BC
One million tons of stone: 100,000 talents
40,000 slaves working time and a half for a year: 5,000 talents
Gold and lapis inlaid sarcophagus: 1,000 talents
A luxurious eternal life in the next world: Priceless
Any more for any more?