The currency of England, or "pounds of silver stars"

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has a long history. Passed through the centuries of tradition, customs and customs - brand name and face of the country, the basis of the model of behavior of the British. In addition, the history of the Kingdom is surrounded by a huge number of myths and legends. Just like the currency of England - no one knows exactly how the pound sterling appeared.

It is known that the British money standard, which has survived to the present day, has a nine-century history. At the same time for the entire period of time, no hypothesis of the name of the English currency has found an absolute confirmation. If the word "pound" is clear and simple, the second part, "sterling", unites a huge number of theories of its appearance.

However, consider in order. In Latin, there is the word "pondus", which in translation means "heaviness" or "the weight". This word contains in its name the currency of England. What does the second, for all the incomprehensible component of the monetary standard of the foggy Albion mean? One hypothesis suggests that the word sterling originates from the Old French word "esterlin", which in translation means "asterisk". Agree that the name is pretty sweet, but has a weak relation to cash. However, this hypothesis states that the currency in England acquired its name due to Norman coins (pence), the reverse side of which was full of miniature stars. Proceeding from this assumption, pounds sterling is a pound pence.

There is also another theory, authored by the monk Walter de Pinchback. According to his research, the second part of the name of the English currency mark originates from the word "Easterling", which means "Eastern Earths". It sounds even more fantastic than the first hypothesis. However, in the 12th century there was representation of these lands in England. At that time, the organization was called the "Hanseatic Union of Free Cities." Therefore, it is quite possible that the currency of England - pound sterling - has such a value as "a pound of silver that appeared from the Eastern lands."

It is noteworthy that, as a member of the European Union, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland retained its national monetary means of payment. Currently, the currency of England is present in circulation both in paper and in metal form. In this case, iron rods are produced from 1 p (pence / penny) to 2 £ (pound sterling). Paper payment products come in value from £ 5 to £ 50. And the British are very wary of the last bill.

Every resident of the foggy Albion knows which currency is the main currency in England, but apart from pounds sterling, there are other funds recognized by law . These are Scottish and Irish bills. However, even though they are also a national means of payment, they are not particularly liked to be accepted in the shops of England. To save time, it's better and easier to exchange them for pounds sterling.