The pound sterling (symbol: £; ISO code: GBP), subdivided into 100 pence (singular: penny), is the currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown dependencies (the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands) and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and British Indian Ocean Territory.

This article covers the history of sterling and the issues of sterling in England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom. For other associated issues see Manx pound, Jersey pound and Guernsey pound. The Gibraltar pound, Falkland Islands pound and Saint Helenian pound are separate currencies, pegged to pound sterling.

Sterling currently makes up the third largest portion of global currency reserves after the US dollar and the euro. The pound sterling is the fourth most-traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the US dollar, the euro, and the Japanese yen .