yes, eta, good brass is an old brittish slang term for cash money (vs. paper money) it was used up till the 1950's (at least in Dublin) and until the 1930'sin UK -if books/shows like "All Creatures Great and Small" are to counted-- (the expression is used in both the book and TV series made from the books)

aside from 'getting the brass ring', and plumbers (my father in law used to remind us we had good brass pipes, not copper ones!) i don't think brass is much used as complimentary thing.. even brass as a term for naval officers was used to mock their uniforms with brass buttons..


my other obsession