In geographic category, wwh noted : The members of the Hanseatic League each had trade outposts in Britain. There were two main groups: The Easterlings and the Westerlings. Each had a silver coinage of such dependable value that there arose a demand for it, and the phrase "Pound Sterling" became current.

The post reminded me of hearing the phrase "Pounds or guineas?" concerning what amount is asked for a service. My understanding is that a guinea is a bit more than a pound.
I've wondered how we name our currencies ... and why the names were chosen. Is there any meaning to the word dollar or yen? What made the Irish decide on Punt?
Perhaps our Non-US friends could give us the names of their currencies?
And as a quirky note ... the US 10 cent coin is called a dime (reference to the decimal? A tenth of a dollar?) and it is the only coin to have its nickname embossed on the coin itself.
Anyone ?
wow