The pound sign ("£" or "₤") is the symbol for the pound sterling—the currency of the United Kingdom (UK). The same symbol is (or was) used for similarly named currencies in some other countries and territories, such as the Irish pound and Gibraltar pound; there are other countries[vague] whose currency is called "the pound", but that do not use the £ symbol.

The symbol derives from capital "L", standing for libra, the basic Roman unit of weight, which is in turn derived from the Latin word for scales or a balance. The pound became a British unit of weight, and the pound currency unit was so named because it was originally the value of 1 pound Tower Weight (326 g)[citation needed] of fine (pure) silver.

In English-language use, the pound sign is placed before the number (i.e. "£12 000" and not "12 000£"), and separated from the following number by no space or a thin space.

The symbol "₤" is also known as the lira sign. In Italy, prior to the adoption of the euro, the symbol was used as an alternative to the more usual L to indicate prices in lire (but always with double horizontal lines).