- British Money - British Currency System, Old British Money ...
- Know Before You Go: A Traveler's Guide To UK Currency
- British Currency Denominations
- British Currency
- British Currency Conversion To Us Dollars
- British Currency Quid
- British Currency Pence
The pound sterling is the oldest currency in the world that is still in use. What do you know about the money used in the UK? Do the Preparation task first. Then watch the video or listen to the audio.
The official full name pound sterling (plural: pounds sterling) is used mainly in formal language and also to distinguish the currency used within the United Kingdom from others that have the same name. (GBP = Great British Pound)
As a unit of currency, the term pound originates from the value of one pound Tower weight of high purity silver known as sterling silver. Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper. The word sterling is believed to come from the Old Norman French esterlin (meaning little star) transformed in stiere in Old English (strong, firm, immovable).
The currency sign is the pound sign, originally ₤ with two cross-bars, then later more commonly £ with a single cross-bar. The pound sign derives from the '£sd' pronounced, and sometimes written as 'LSD'. The abbreviation comes from librae, solidi, denarii (libra was the basic Roman unit of weight; the solidus and denarius were Roman coins). '£sd' was the popular name for the pre-decimal currencies pounds, shillings, pence of the Britain and other countries.
The coins in circulation: 1 penny, 2 pence, 5 pence, 10 pence, 20 pence, 50 pence, 1 pound, 2 pounds.
The notes (paper money) in circulation: £5, £10, £20, £50, and £100.
Scottish £1 notes are still in circulation in Scotland. The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man have some different coins and notes from the mainland but the monetary system is the same.
Writing and Saying Amounts of Money
When we write amounts of money in figures, the pound symbol £ is always shown in front of the figures. For example: 'three hundred pounds' --- > '£300'.If an amount of money consists only of pence, we put the letter 'p' after the figures. For example: 20p is often pronounced 'twenty pee' rather than 'twenty pence'. The singular of pence is 'penny'.
If an amount of money consists of both pounds and pence, we write the pound symbol and separate the pounds and the pence with a full stop. We do not write 'p' after the pence. For example: 'six pounds fifty pence' --- > '£6.50'. When saying aloud an amount of money that consists of pounds and pence, we do not usually say the word 'pence'. For example: '£6.50' -- > 'six pounds fifty'.
Note also that we say 2 pounds, 5 pounds, 10 pounds, etc. for amounts of money and 2 pound coin, 5 pound note, 10 pound note, etc. for a piece of money (coins and notes).
Old British Money
Prior to decimalization in 1971 Britain used a system of pounds, shillings and pence. ('£sd' or 'LSD'). The smallest unit of currency was a penny, the plural of which was pence (orpennies). There were 12 pence in a shilling and 20 shillings in a pound. The pound came in the form of a paper bill, called a note, or a gold coin, called a sovereign.1 farthing (the lowest value coin) = 1/4 penny
A ha'penny (Half penny - a copper coin) = 1/2 penny (pronounced 'heipni')
1 penny (a copper coin) = one of the basic units (1d)
Threepence or Thruppenny Bit = 3 pence (pronounced 'thrupence')
Sixpence (a silver coin also called a 'tanner') = 6 pence
1 shilling = 12 pence (1s)
1 florin (a silver coin that numismatists regard as one of the most beautiful medieval English coins) = 2 shillings
A half-crown = 2 shillings and 6 pence
1 crown = 5 shillings = 1/4 pound
1 pound = 20 shillings = 240 pence (£1)
1 sovereign = a gold coin with a face value of one pound (about .24 ounces of 22 carat gold)
Farthings were not produced after 1956 and were withdrawn in 1960, because of inflation. In preparation for decimalisation, the ha'penny was withdrawn in 1969, with the half-crown being withdrawn the year after.
A penny was often called a copper after the metal it was minted from.
Pound coins were not minted before the 19th century – the silver equivalent of the pound circulated in shillings and crowns.
A guinea (first issued on February 6th, 1663) was sometimes used as a unit of account. A guinea was a gold coin, originally made of gold from the Guinea coast of Africa, worth 21 shillings (or one pound and 1 shilling) in old British money. A guinea was considered a more gentlemanly amount than £1. A gentleman paid his tailor in shillings, but his barrister in guineas.
One shilling is now equal to five (new) pence making a guinea worth one pound and five pence in todays currency (£1.05).
Slang Terms for British Money
The slang term for a pound or a number of pounds sterling is 'quid' or 'nicker' and there are other slang terms for various amounts of money. The slang money expression 'quid' seems first to have appeared in late 1600's England, probably derived from the Latin 'quid pro quo' - 'something exchanged for something else'. The term 'nicker' is probably connected to the use of nickel in the minting of coins.The old slang term for a shilling was 'bob' and for a guinea - 'yellow-boy'.
Other slang terms:Fiver = £5, Lady Godiva (Cockney rhyming slang for a fiver) = £5, Tenner = £10, Pony = £25, Half a ton = £50, Ton = £100, Monkey = £500, Grand = £1000.
The National Flag of the United Kingdom was officially adopted on January 1, 1801.
The basic unit of British currency (currency of the United Kingdom and the Crown Dependencies) is the pound, which is divided into one hundred pence. One of the first things to remember is that although many European countries have signed up to a single European currency (the Euro), the United Kingdom (i.e. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) have not. The current official currency of the United Kingdom is the pound sterling (£, GBP). GBP is an abbreviation of 'Great Britain Pound.' It is the world's oldest currency which is still in use. The pound sterling is a decimal currency, meaning its sub-units are based on a factor of 10. Prior to February 15th 1971 the British currency system was known as pounds, shillings and pence. In the system used at that time 12 pennies was equal to one shilling and 20 shillings was equal to one pound.
The National Flag of the United Kingdom (Union Jack) features a blue background with the centered red cross edged in white. This is superimposed on the diagonal white cross on the blue background; which is again further superimposed on the diagonal x-shaped red saltire. In short, the Union Flag is a composite of St. George's Cross of England (the centered red cross bordered in white); St. Andrew's Cross of Scotland (the diagonal white cross on the blue field), and Saint Patrick’s Cross of Ireland (diagonal x-shaped red saltire). The flag has a width-to-length proportion ratio of 1:2.
History of the flag of the UK
The Scottish and the English crowns were united on March 24, 1603, when James VI of Scotland became the King of Britain and was renamed James I. In 1606, it was decreed by a royal proclamation by James I, that a single flag would be used to represent the whole United Kingdom. The first flags of Great Britain were hence flown during the rule of James I and Charles I during 1603-1649. The flag used during this period displayed the red cross of England (St. George’s Cross) that was superimposed on the white cross of Scotland (St. Andrew’s Cross) on a blue background. From 1649-1660, during the Commonwealth and the Protectorate period, the Irish harp was inducted into the flag. However, this flag was modified and subsequently, the original flag was restored in 1660, during the restoration of Charles II on the throne. The Act of the Union in 1800 enabled the two kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland to join together. In 1801, the St. Patrick’s Cross was incorporated into the flag and the modern Union Jack was officially adopted as the Flag of the United Kingdom on January 1, 1801. The Union Jack has been the basis for several other flags including the flags of other Commonwealth countries and their constituent states or provinces, and the flags of British Overseas Territories.
Historical and Other Flags of the UK
Flag of Northern Ireland
Flag of Wales
Symbols of United Kingdom
United Kingdom Royal Coat of Arms
The Coat of Arms is used by the Queen or King in their official capacity as monarch, and are officially known as the Arms of Dominion.The United Kingdom Royal Coat of Arms consists of a shield divided into four quadrants. One of the quadrants contains the guardant lions of England. Two of the quadrants contain the rampant lion of Scotland. The final quadrant contains a harp which represents Northern Ireland. The shield is surrounded by a garter bearing the motto: Honi soit qui mal y pense (“Evil to him who evil thinks”). The garter symbolizes the Order of Garter that is an ancient order of knighthood of which the Queen is the sovereign. Supporting the shield are a crowned lion and a unicorn. The crowned lion represents England and the unicorn represents Scotland. The crowned lion also crowns the Coat of Arms that is surmounted by the Royal Crown. Below the crown is displayed the national motto: Dieu et mon Droit (“God and my right”). Displayed beneath the shield are rose, thistle, and shamrock – the plant badges of the United Kingdom.
National Motto
'Dieu et mon droit' ('God and my right').
National Anthem
- Anthem Title: 'God Save the Queen'
- Music Composer: Unknown
- Lyricist: Unknown
- Date of Adoption: September 1745
'God Save the Queen' is the official national anthem of the United Kingdom. It also serves as the national and royal anthems in all Commnowealth realms, overseas territories of UK and the British Crown dependencies. The music composer and lyricist of the anthem are however unknown. The anthem has been in use since September 1745. The first verse out of the two verses are generally sung for official occasions.
British Money - British Currency System, Old British Money ...
'God Save the Queen'
1.
God save our gracious Queen!
Long live our noble Queen!
Know Before You Go: A Traveler's Guide To UK Currency
God save the Queen!
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us,
British Currency Denominations
God save the Queen.
2.
Thy choicest gifts in store
On her be pleased to pour,
Long may she reign.
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause,
To sing with heart and voice,
God save the Queen.
The Currency of United Kingdom is the Pound sterling
The current official currency of the United Kingdom is the pound sterling (£, GBP). GBP is an abbreviation of 'Great Britain Pound.' It is the world's oldest currency which is still in use.
The pound sterling is a decimal currency, meaning its sub-units are based on a factor of 10. One-pound Sterling has 100 pence (symbol: p).
Coins
British Currency
The common coin denominations are 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1, and £2. Britons tend to speak “pee” instead of pence, like '20 pee' for a 20p coin. A pound is also referred to as a “quid”. A five-pound note is colloquially called a “fiver,” while the ten-pound note is known as a “tenner”. £1 and £2 coins feature different portraits of Queen Elizabeth II.
British Currency Conversion To Us Dollars
Banknotes
The common denominations of UK’s banknotes are £5, £10, £20, and £50. The current £5 banknote features an image of Sir Winston Churchill, a Nobel laureate and the UK’s prime minister during World War II. It also features Queen Elizabeth II – the reigning monarch on the other side. The £20 note has Adam Smith, and the £50 note features Matthew Boulton and James Watt. Charles Darwin is featured on the £10 note which has been withdrawn from circulation in March 2008.
The Bank of England is the central bank of the UK. It is also known as the “Old Lady” of Threadneedle Street. The bank is responsible for designing and printing the banknotes. It has started switching from traditional paper notes to polymer banknotes. On September 13, 2016, the Bank of England issued its first £5 note made of a polymer substance. The polymer £5 note features Sir Winston Churchill. The polymer £10 note is planned to be released on September 14, 2017, and will feature novelist Jane Austen. The new polymer £20 notes are planned to be issued in 2020 that features JMW Turner.
The Bank of England has two very large denomination notes called “Giant” and “Titan”. They are worth £1 million and £100 million, respectively. These notes are not in circulation, instead, their purpose is to enable authorized banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland to hold equivalent values in Bank of England notes.
Pound sterling Coin
British Currency Quid
Historical Currencies of the United Kingdom
British Currency Pence
Different historic sources indicate that the pound was already in circulation during the Anglo-Saxon period. The Tealby penny was circulated during the medieval period and was used as the standard currency unit until most of the 20th century. The sterling silver coins were introduced in 1552. The gold coins were introduced in 1663 and were used to export goods, making Britain a gold standard country. The establishment of the bank of England led to the issuance of the first paper money in 1694. The gold standard was adopted again in 1861. During WWI, the gold standard was abandoned and the treasury paper notes were used as the official currency. The Pound was then pegged to US Dollar and in the latter part of the 1940s, it became a part of the Bretton Woods System. Before decimalization in February 1971, the pound sterling had sub-units of shillings and pence (12 pence = 1 shilling and 20 shillings = 1 pound). The penny also had subdivisions named “halfpennies” and “farthings,” which were worth half and a quarter of the penny, respectively.