Brewer's: Tellers of the Exchequer

A corruption of talliers—i.e. tally-men, whose duty it was to compare the tallies, receive money payable into the Exchequer, give receipts, and pay what was due according to the tallies. Abolished in the reign of William IV. The functionary of a bank who receives and pays bills, orders, and so on, is still called a “teller.”

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