Quid vs. Pound
Looking for a comprehensive guide on quid vs. pound, you are on the right page. Here we will discuss the history and all the differences between them.
February 8, 2021
Quid vs. Pound - Similarities and Differences
The currency is the money system in a particular country, region or state that is available or is in common usage. Four of the most common currencies used globally are the Pounds, Yen, Euro and Dollar. These currencies consist of paper notes and coins and are distributed and sold in a certain region by the government in charge. Greatest part of market research and broker analysis revolve around these currencies.
In this article, we will cover the gap between quid and pound because they are both the same. The two terms are sometimes used synonymously, and this is where most of the misunderstanding arises when we dig into this topic.
The distinction seen between quid and pound is that the quid is a slang word for the pound, while the pound is an actual currency developed by the metric system being used in many countries such as the United Kingdom and England.
What is Quid?
For the Pound sterling, or the British pound, that is United Kingdom (U.K.) national currency, Quid is an informal word. A quid equals hundred pence, which is thought to come from the Latin phrase “quid pro quo,” that is translated as “something to get something.”
Quid is believed to have come into existence in the seventeenth century, it represented one pound sterling, although nothing is entirely clear when the term became connected with the British economy. Another explanation is that the term dates back to Quidhampton, which is a village formerly host to the Royal Mint paper mill in Wiltshire, England.
Any paper currency that was produced within that factory probably may have also been labelled a quid. While the root of the term remains unknown, the pound sterling, as the world’s oldest currency currently in existence, has a longstanding history of more than 12 generations.
The history of Pound Sterling:
Archivist dates the British pounds all of the time back to A.D. 775. When the Anglo-Saxon rulers were using coins of silver, named sterling. “There was 1 pound of sterlings for someone who collected 240 of them, thus the name turned to pound sterling.
Before 1489, when Henry VII was king, an individual pound coin didn’t operate. The British pound has historically acted as a currency in many of the British Empire’s colonies, particularly in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, in addition to the UK.
Further details of Pound:
The official currency of the United Kingdom, England, Egypt, and other countries is the pound. It is the oldest known currency that is currently in use. It is termed as the Pound Sterling in the United Kingdom. Sterling is the 4th most kept foreign currencies in the world as for the year 2019.
The sign for the sterling pound is £. The Bank of England is the largest sterling-regulating body. According to proof, the term pound appeared in the eighth century. The Latin word poundus, which implies weight, is its origin.
Quid vs. Pound Principal Variations:
Even though pound and quid are similar, although the latter is slang for the previous, it is possible to suggest certain variations between both the terms.
- The pound is a common currency, while the quid is a pound-slang term.
- The term pound is thought to have derived from the Latin word poundus, although there is no firm evidence about the roots of the term quid.
- Possibly in the 8th century, the pound emerged, while the quid was introduced in the early seventeenth century.
- Pounds are found in numerous countries, such as the United Kingdom, Saint Helena, Egypt, and Lebanon. The quid, across the other side, it seems to be a slang word in all the above-mentioned nations.
- Sterling, smackeroo, and sovereign are some other slang names for the pound. The quid is itself, on the other hand, slang for the pound.
- The Pound has come from the Latin word ‘Libra,’ which means ancient Rome’s money. The term quid, on the other hand, is based on the Latin word ‘quid pro quo,’ meaning ‘something for something.’
- Like the word bucks being used as slang for the Dollar, Quid is the casual word used instead of the Pound.
The pound’s history can be traced back to King Offa of Mercia’s reign. In the Saxon kingdom, he implemented coins named sterling. The worth and presence of sterling shifted steadily. It was formally embraced as the currency of Britain when the United Kingdom accepted the decimal system in 1971.
