actual, the, n. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

actual, the n.

[as in SE, where ‘the actual’ is opposed to ‘the idea’, the sense here is of concrete, hard cash]

money.

1856		Dow Sermons n.p.: As for happiness in this world without the rhino, the chink or the actual, you might as soon think of winning a woman’s affections in a raffle [F&H].
1890		Dunde Eve. Teleg. 3 Apr. 2/5: We may talk of our money in a score of ways [...] ‘the actual,’ ‘the wherewithal,’ ‘beans,’ ‘blunt,’ [...] ‘shot,’ ‘feathers’.
1905		Exeter & Plymouth Gaz. 4 Feb. 5/6: Money in general is known as: The Actual, Coliander Seeds, [...] Hard, John Davis, King’s Pictures, [...] Nonsense, Oil of Angels, [...] Rowdy.
1919		Smith’s Wkly (Sydney) 7 June 9/6: Slang of Money [...] It has been called ‘the actual, the blunt, hard, dirt, evil, flimsy, gilt, iron, John. Davis, lurries, moss, oil of angels, pieces, rowdy, spondulicks, tin, wad’ .