Henry Ernest Dudeney/Puzzles and Curious Problems/8 - Equal Values/Solution

Puzzles and Curious Problems by Henry Ernest Dudeney: $8$

A lady and her daughter set out on a walk the other day,

and happened to notice that they both had money of the same value in their purses,

consisting of three coins each, and all six coins were different.

During the afternoon they made slight purchases,

and on returning home found that they again had similar value in their purses made up of three coins each, and all six different.

How much money did they set out with, and what was the value of their purchases?

The two ladies had:

$10 \shillings$, $1 \shillings$ and $6 \oldpence$ in one purse

and:

$5 \shillings$, $4 \shillings$ and $2 \shillings 6 \oldpence$ in the other.

That is, they had $11 \shillings 6 \oldpence$ each.

They each spent $4 \shillings$ and returned with:

$5 \shillings$, $2 \shillings$ and $6 \oldpence$ in one purse

and:

$4 \shillings$, $2 \shillings 6 \oldpence$ and $1 \shillings$ in the other.

They started with $11 \shillings 6 \oldpence$ each and ended with $7 \shillings 6 \oldpence$ each.