Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a noble (worth 6s 8d or one-third of a pound).

1937–84

Partridge DSUE (1984) 454/2: late C.16–17.

2. a half crown, 2s 6d (12½p).

1676		Night-Walkers Declaration 6: We got perhaps a pretty Treat, and now and then a George or two.
1688		T. Shadwell Squire of Alsatia II ii: I make bold to equip you with some megs, smelts, decus’s and Georges.
c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: He tipt me Forty Georges for my Earnest, he paid me Five Pounds for my Share or Snack.
1702		T. Brown Letters from the Dead to the Living in Works (1760) I 1: I tipped the fellow a George to carry this letter for me.
1719		A. Smith Lives of Most Notorious Highway-men, etc. (1926) 206: George, half a crown. He tipt me forty georges for my earnest, i.e., he paid me five pounds for my share or snack.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
1737, 1759, 1760, 1776		Bailey Universal Etym. Eng. Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
c.1750–1882		B.M. Carew Life and Adventures.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1802		Sporting Mag. May XX 119/1: Like a lubber so raw, and so soft, / Half a george handed out, at the change did not look.
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1812		Spirit of Irish Wit 261: If I have a hog, / A smelt, a George, or a tester.
1823		Rambler’s Mag. 1 Mar. 132: Have her hanged for breaking open the till and stealing ten Georges and a screw of browns.
1835		G. Kent Modern Flash Dict.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.

3. a guinea; a pound.

1719		in D’Urfey Pills to Purge Melancholy I 313: The Fidlers have play’d their last merry Tune; / Lets give ’em a George and bid ’em god b’w’y.
1880		Henley & Stevenson Deacon Brodie III tab.V iii: Do you know what your pal Deacon’s worth to you? Fifty golden Georges and a free pardon.

4. money in general; also attrib.

1998

Guardian Sport 2 Oct. 16: In fact so cheesed off is I about the steady drying up of my George opportunities.