12 Pennies to a Pound

Today in lecture I gave up. I just had to know how much a shilling was in comparison to a pound. When we did our group discussions I decided to ask my classmates, one of whom is an older woman who is pushing 65. The look on her face was one of those 'How can you not know? Are you an idiot?' look and quite frankly, I didn't appreciate it. She arrogantly told me that there are 12 pennies to a pound, straightened her posture, stuck her nose up in the air, and told me that there are 20 shillings to a pound. The other students didn't seem annoyed by my question, but she clearly did. I swear I've got an American accent, so wouldn't it be obviously that an American would question something like this? Obviously I wasn't educated in England if I sound like an American and am questioning this. I can assure you that during my schooling before university the word 'shilling' was never uttered in the classroom (although it has been mentioned on the History Channel, a channel I frequently watch when I've got the time). Maybe she felt superior because she knew the answer? Well, sweetheart, I grew up in Ohio where most kids haven't even heard of Wales and think the Pilgrims crossed the Pacific so don't get your knickers in a twist.