He commonly solves it by calling the man a thief and paying the tenpence.
From the evangelicaloutpost.com
When a peasant asks tenpence for something that is worth fourpence, the tourist misunderstands the whole problem.
From the evangelicaloutpost.com
Gladstone refused to borrow the money needed to rectify this deficit and instead increased the income tax by one half from sevenpence to tenpence-halfpenny in the pound.