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Great Britain - General & Miscellaneous History, Money - Economics, Great Britain - Economic History
The Pound by David Sinclair — book cover

The Pound

by David Sinclair
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Overview

The Pound: A Biography tells the story of the pound from the Vikings to cyberspace, when—single European currency or not—it may be coming to the end of its life. Along the way we encounter the kings and queens, the merchants and adventurers, the bankers, politicians, and assorted fraudsters who have played the supporting roles. The story is revelatory, fascinating and always entertaining. It is a permanent record of and possible epitaph to the rise and decline of the world’s most enduring currency.

Synopsis

Packed with detail and colour, this fascinating book charts the Pound's development from its origins in the Dark Ages to its role today in cyberspace when, single European currency or not, it may be coming to the end of its life. The Pound is also the revealing story of Britain and her people on the world stage. Britain's currency was the first great international exchange currency, laying the foundations for world trade. The Pound illuminates the kings and queens, merchants and bankers, politicians and fraudsters who have all played their parts in the rise and decline of the British Nation.

Times

An ambitious mix of economic history, biography and good old-fashioned storytelling... A meticulously-researched account of sterling's development over the ages.

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Editorials

Times

An ambitious mix of economic history, biography and good old-fashioned storytelling... A meticulously-researched account of sterling's development over the ages.

Library Journal

This general survey tells the chronological story of English currency from the first minting of coins by King Offa of Mercia, c.780, to the coming of the Euro. Despite the title, the pound appears only halfway through the book, in 1489, during the reign of Henry VII. Before that, Sinclair, an English newspaperman and biographer, surveys the development of currency from Offa's silver pennies through groats, esterlins, and many other coins and denominations that have fallen over time. Sinclair covers the various coin shavings and debasements and illustrates how the changing value of money affected the nation. The last chapter reviews the future of the pound after the imposition of the Euro. Though quite clearly written, this book may have limited appeal since all but a few pages cover the pound before decimalization in 1971. Not a coin book, nor an economic treatise, nor illustrated (except for the flyleaf), it is more than the average person would want and less than a scholar would expect. English history and coin collections will find this an acceptable overview; for everyone else, it is a pleasant read but strictly an optional purchase.--Patrick J. Brunet, Western Wisconsin Technical Coll., La Crosse Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Book Details

Published
January 1, 2001
Publisher
Random House UK
Pages
302
Format
Paperback
ISBN
9780099406068

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