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You are here: Home / Odds / Why Is English Money Called a Pound?

Why Is English Money Called a Pound?

March 5, 2020 by Karen Hill

During the Middle Ages, most people in Europe used silver coins. The English used silver pennies; each weighed 1/240 of a pound, and was called a sterling.

The basic unit of money in England became the pound of silver, which was equal to 240 sterlings. So this unit was and still is called the pound sterling.

The word lira that is used for the basic unit of money in Italy also means “pound.”

The word franc became the name of the money unit in France, because during the 14th century, coins issued there bore the Latin words Francorum Rex, “King of the French.”

Related Facts

  • History of Money
  • Why Is the English “Dollar” Called a Pound?
  • Where does the word “franc” come from and What does franc mean?
  • What was the European Age of Exploration?
  • Why Are the Abbreviations of Pound and Ounce, lb. and oz. and How Did They Originate?
  • Why Is an English Pound Sterling Called a “Quid”, What Does it Mean, and Where Did the Word Come From?

Filed Under: Odds

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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