Pound sign

؋ ​₳ ​฿ ​₿ ​₵ ​¢ ​₡ ​₢ ​$ ​₫ ​₯ ​֏ ​₠ ​€ ​ƒ ​₣ ​₲ ​₴ ​₭ ​₺ ​₾ ​₼ ​ℳ ​₥ ​₦ ​₧ ​₱ ​₰ ​£ ​元 圆 圓 ​﷼ ​៛ ​₽ ​₹ ₨ ​₪ ​৳ ​₸ ​₮ ​₩ ​¥ ​円The pound sign (£) is the symbol for the pound sterling—the currency of the United Kingdom and previously of Great Britain and the Kingdom of England. The same symbol is used for similarly named currencies, such as the Gibraltar pound, the Egyptian pound, the Syrian pound, etc. It is also sometimes used for currencies named lira, for example the now withdrawn Italian lira.It is not known for certain when the horizontal line or lines, which indicate an abbreviation, first came to be drawn through the L. However, there is in the Bank of England Museum a cheque dated 7 January 1661 with a clearly discernible £ sign. By the time the Bank was founded in 1694 the £ sign was in common use. The pound sign (£) is the symbol for the pound sterling—the currency of the United Kingdom and previously of Great Britain and the Kingdom of England. The same symbol is used for similarly named currencies, such as the Gibraltar pound, the Egyptian pound, the Syrian pound, etc. It is also sometimes used for currencies named lira, for example the now withdrawn Italian lira. The symbol derives from a capital 'L', representing libra pondo, the basic unit of weight in the Roman Empire, which in turn is derived from the Latin word, libra, meaning scales or a balance. The pound became an English unit of weight and in England became defined as the tower pound (equivalent to 350 grams) of fine (pure) silver. According to the Royal Mint Museum: