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The History of the British Pound

By Kieron L Jones, on 1 May 2013

“The British pound, also now known as the pound sterling, is generally considered to be the world’s oldest currency that is still actively used and circulated. It originated during the 760s when King Offa of the Mercian kingdom (present-day Staffordshire) introduced the silver penny into the coinage of the time. Inspired by the Carolingian system, 240 of the new pennies equaled a pound in silver. Additional subdivisions of coins included farthings and shillings. Shortly after introducing this system in Mercia, the surrounding Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of the Heptarchy followed suit and also adopted it. Eventually the pound became the standard monetary unit in the region.”  Read more

Many thanks to the Lexington Middle School History Club in Nebraska for the suggestion!

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