The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has a long history. Traditions, customs and customs that have been passed through the centuries are the brand name and face of the country, the basis of the British behavior model. In addition, the history of the development of the Kingdom is surrounded by a huge number of myths and legends. As well as the currency of England - no one knows exactly how the pound sterling appeared.
It is known that the British monetary standard that has survived to this day has a nine-century history. At the same time, over the entire given period of time, not a single hypothesis of the appearance of the name of the English currency found one hundred percent confirmation. If the word "pound" is clear and simple, then the second part, "sterling", combines a huge number of theories of its appearance.
However, consider in order. In Latin there is the word "pondus", which means "heaviness" or "weight". It is this word that contains in its name the currency of England. What does the second, incomprehensible component of the monetary standard of foggy Albion mean to everyone? One hypothesis suggests that the word sterling originates from the Old French word “esterlin”, which means “asterisk”. Agree that the name is pretty sweet, but has little relation to cash. However, this hypothesis claims that the currency in England gained its name thanks to the Norman coins (pence), the reverse side of which was full of tiny little stars. Based on this assumption, pounds sterling is a pound of pence.
There is also another theory authored by monk Walter de Pinchback. According to his research, the second part of the name of the English banknote originates from the word “Easterling”, which means “Eastern Lands”. It sounds even more fantastic than the first hypothesis. However, in the 12th century in England there was a representation of these same lands. At that time, the organization was called the Hanseatic League of Free Cities. Therefore, it is quite possible that the currency of England - the pound sterling - also has such a meaning as "a pound of silver that came from the Eastern lands."
Noteworthy is the fact that, as a member of the European Union, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland retained its national monetary payment instrument. Currently, the currency of England is present in circulation both in paper and in metal form. At the same time, iron round beads are issued in denominations from 1 p (pence / penny) to 2 £ (pound sterling). Paper means of payment come in denominations from £ 5 to £ 50. Moreover, the British are very wary of the last bill.
Every resident of foggy Albion knows what the main currency in England is, however, besides pounds sterling, there are other funds recognized by law . These are Scottish and Irish banknotes. However, even though they are also a national means of payment, they are not particularly fond of being received in stores in England. To save time, it’s better and easier to exchange them for pounds.