The currency used in the United Kingdom is the Pound Sterling. Yes, that’s its official, fancy-pants name, but everyone just calls it “the pound.” Symbol-wise, it’s that swanky £ sign, which is basically an “L” with a line through it, resembling a snooty letter with a hangover. You might also see GBP in finance apps, which stands for “Great British Pound”—and it is, indeed, pretty great.
Unlike the boring, homogenous Euro, the pound comes in wonderfully confusing forms. We’re talking notes (paper that feels like plastic) and coins that have no business being so chunky or having thirteen sides. Seriously, some coins look like they were designed by a bored engineer with a Geometry for Dummies book.
The Plastic Fantastic (and the Old Paper)
For years, British banknotes were made of cotton paper, which quickly turned into a soggy, grey mess if you sneezed near them. Then, in a brilliant move, they switched to polymer—that’s fancy plastic to you and me. These new notes are waterproof, don’t tear when you wrestle with your wallet, and are rumored to be tougher than a brick wall.
The downside? They now slide out of your pocket like greased eels. Drop a fiver in a puddle? No problem. Drop it in a gust of wind? Good luck chasing that slippery little devil down the street. And if you find an old paper note, treat it like a historical artifact—you can still spend it at most places, but shops look at you like you’re paying with a Roman coin.
