Some are different, or even opposite those of other countries.
In Italy, for instance, black cats are seen as bad luck, whereas in England if a black cat crosses your path it means your troubles are over.
An old wives’ tale in England says:
“Find a penny, pick it up and all day long you’ll have good luck.”
I don’t know if it really brings good luck or not, but, when in doubt..every time I see a coin sparkle (the vile copper coin of one penny or two pence even), whether on the sidewalk, in the subway carriage,or in the park, I bend down and pick it up.
According to some people, it brings good luck if it shows its head, otherwise you should turn it over and let the next lucky person pick it up.
For many ancient populations, some metals, such as copper or silver, used in coins, were considered magical and emanated protection against bad luck.
Even the dualism good versus evil would be reflected in the two sides of heads and tails.
Upon returning to the United Kingdom, British brides have always been advised, since ancient times, to wear on their wedding day ‘something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue..plus a sixpence in your shoe.’
This coin was also a lucky charm for Royal Air Force pilots, who, during the Second World War, had it sewn behind their wings or on their pilot's license.
Furthermore, the silver sixpence coin was hidden in certain traditional sweets, such as Christmas pudding, and the finder would be the winner and the one receiving a good amount of luck.
The pound is divided into 100 pence (p) and coins are 1p (penny), 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p and £1 (pound) and £2.
Bills are in denominations of £5, £10, £20 and £50 but it’s best to try to avoid having £50 notes as people do not use cash much nowadays as cards are the preferred mean of payment.
In 2022 the United Kingdom said goodbye to paper banknotes.
British pound banknotes were produced exclusively in polymer.
Over the centuries, the production of paper money has made significant improvements making banknotes increasingly resistant and secure and making them increasingly difficult to counterfeit. However, in recent times, more and more nations have chosen to complement traditional paper banknotes with new polymer banknotes.
The pound is widely used in international trade and finance and occupies a key position in foreign exchange markets due to the historical and current economic policies of the United Kingdom and London's status as a global financial centre.
Due to the UK's dominant role in global financial services, including banking, insurance and wealth management, fluctuations in the value of the pound can have far-reaching consequences for financial markets and investment flows globally.
For businesses, the pound is a stable and reliable instrument for international trade, investment and contracts.
For companies operating within and outside the UK, transactions in pounds reduce the need for currency conversion, reducing costs and simplifying accounting.
The pound sterling was first introduced by the Anglo-Saxons around 770 as a coin minted from sterling silver: about 240 of these coins were equivalent to the weight of one pound, hence the name pound sterling.
In 1066 the Norman invasion introduced the feudal system and the pound began to be used as a standard numerical monetary unit.
The terms shilling and penny were also introduced at the same time.
