If you’ve ever found yourself pausing mid-email, wondering, “Wait, which key do I press to make the pound symbol?” then you’re not alone. However, the real question is probably: which pound symbol are you looking for?
The pound symbol has taken on many forms, from currency to social media, and because of how relevant these symbols are, many of us use them throughout the day. To clear up the confusion, Remitly has put together this guide that will take you through each of the pound symbols, how to use them, when to use them, and, of course, how to type them.
How the pound symbol evolved
Civilisations have been using symbols for thousands of years, evolving to help save people time, and eventually leading to our beloved emojis. If you recall, even before emojis, we typed certain numbers or symbols to create a smiley face—a shorthand way of telling someone we’re happy instead of writing out a longer sentiment to express our feelings.
Everything evolves, and the pound symbol in all its forms is no different. Symbols were used for units of mass and currency, taking on different forms as handwriting became more relevant.
Roman merchants often scribbled abbreviations, having no idea that we would still be using them today in the 21st century. The root of each pound sign comes from the words libra pondo, meaning a pound in weight.
By the Medieval times, scribes would add flourishes and strokes to help distinguish different abbreviations, giving us the £, lb, and # signs that would continue to evolve over the centuries, as different technologies emerged.
When printing presses spread throughout Europe, the £ symbol was already solidified for currency, while the lb was officially short for a unit of mass. And by the time telephones came along, we would add another symbol under the word pound: #.
It’s been said that the number symbol # evolved from the abbreviation lb, but many historians and even linguists debate this. Either way, these three symbols have a long and shared history and remain extremely prevalent even in the digital age.
The pound sterling symbol (£): from ancient times to British currency
The British pound sterling dates back to the 8th century, when it was first used for silver pennies. Over time, England’s currency and eventually the whole of the UK would go on to use pounds and pence. For a fun bit of trivia, in medieval England, one pound could fetch you 15 cattle.
However, up until the late 20th century, there was more than just the £ symbol to worry about. Before decimals came into use in 1971, currency was broken down as the following:
- £ for pounds
- s for shillings
- d for pence
Writing out currency in pre-decimal form, with the symbol and letters above, was a task. The introduction of the decimal made everything much more streamlined and far less clunky.
But where did the £ symbol itself come from?
It all stems from the Latin phrase libra pondo—the word libra itself, representing scales and balance. The sign of the L became more ornate as centuries passed, and then simplified when the second bar or horizontal line through the £ symbol was removed.
A cheque dating back to 1661 with the £ symbol would be in common use by the time the Bank of England was founded in 1694, making it the official symbol of England’s currency.
How to type the pound sterling symbol: £
We don’t use quills and ink anymore to write a flourishing £ symbol on our cheques. Most likely, we’re typing it out or pressing a button or two. With so many different devices in the digital age, finding where the pound sterling symbol is on your computer or phone might leave you seeking out this very guide to help save you time in the future.
Let’s take a look at the shortcuts for writing the £ symbol for the UK and US:
| Device/Layout | Key combination |
| UK keyboard for Windows | Shift key + 3 |
| US keyboard for Windows | Alt key + 0163 |
| Mac (UK or US) | Option key + 3 |
| Smartphone/tablet | Press and hold the $ symbol, then select £ from the menu |
If you’re using a foreign keyboard, you can set it to your native or preferred language. You might be typing on a German keyboard, but all the letters and numbers can be configured to a UK keyboard setting.
Keyboards are becoming increasingly universal, as many symbols like £ and # are used across the globe, and their overlap calls for us to have more streamlined devices.
How the # key became a superstar: from pound to number to hashtag
If you’ve spent any time in the United States, you might be familiar with the phrase “press the pound key” while on hold. In Britain, it’s more commonly known as the hash sign, and for younger generations on social media, it’s simply a hashtag and probably nothing more.
In the 1960s, telephone keypads included the # symbol, which was labeled the “pound sign” in the US as a nod to the older symbols that once represented the libra pondo.
The # symbol then became known as the number sign in the UK to help differentiate it from the currency symbol. When it comes to the name hash, this was a nod to the stripes on military jackets, and then, as social media developed in the 21st century, it became a hashtag.
How did the sign come to be? The abbreviation lb used to have a line through it like so: ℔. As handwriting became more widespread, the symbol evolved and eventually became the pound/number/hash(tag) symbol we know today.
The # sign wears many hats and is used worldwide across phones, keyboards, and social media. No wonder it’s the superstar of the pound symbols.
How to type the # symbol on different devices
Typing # on different devices is almost universal because it’s widely used, especially in social media, whereas the sterling pound is more specific.
| Device/Layout | Key combination |
| UK keyboard for Windows | AltGr + 3 or a dedicated # key |
| US keyboard for Windows | Shift key + 3 |
| Mac (UK layout) | Option key + 3 |
| Mac (US layout) | Shift key + 3 |
| Smartphone/tablet | Tap the # key on the symbols screen |
The pound as a unit of mass: lb—the Roman legacy that stuck
Between the £ and # symbols, where does lb come in, you might ask? As with many things, all roads lead to Rome, or at least back to the Roman Empire. All three pound symbols stem from one symbol that took shape throughout the centuries and evolved due to penmanship, language evolution, and, you may have guessed it, libra pondo.
While the word “pound” does not consist of the letters “L” and “B”, the word libra does—and over time, the L and B in libra stuck. Since literacy wasn’t widespread and there was only so much paper scroll to go around, scribes in the 14th century found different ways to abbreviate words to save space—abbreviations that would become steadfast in our everyday lives well into the 21st century.
However, as time went on, the US has remained the country that keeps the lb symbol truly alive by using the imperial system instead of the metric. When talking about body weight, in the US, there won’t be any mention of stones, but pounds or lbs.
When writing weight in the US, lb is always written in lowercase, and while some add an S for multiple pounds, writing “10lb” is standard practice.
Three symbols, one shared story
At first glance, the pound symbols might seem simple, but they’re examples of how language, writing, history, and technology intertwine. These symbols connect us globally and historically with stories that have evolved and stood the test of time.
When you type £ for the British pound, you’re writing a symbol that represents an empire and centuries of commerce. Even the lb has Roman roots so strong that the US continues to use it almost daily. And when you post #MotivationMonday, you’re bringing a sign that dates back centuries into the modern age and keeping it relevant despite even telephones evolving so significantly.
Everything has a history, even symbols we rarely consider while pressing buttons on our smartphones. They connect us and will continue to do so for generations to come.
In case you need a cheat sheet after all this talk about pounds, think of it this way:
- If it’s about money, it’s £.
- If it’s about weight, it’s lb.
- If it’s on your phone or in your social feed, it’s #.
Want to learn more about money? Check out the resources on our blog, from history to budgeting.
FAQs
Why does the UK use an “L” symbol to represent its currency?
The £ sign evolved from the handwritten letter “L,” short for libra—a term in Roman times, meaning “balance” or “scales.” Throughout the centuries, the ornate writing of £ evolved to the symbol we know today.
Why is “lb” short for pounds?
The lb abbreviation comes from the word libra pondo, which means “a pound in weight,” and has evolved from Roman times to represent a unit of mass. This symbol is widely used to show weight in the United States.
Which term for the # symbol is correct—pound, number, or hash?
All three terms are correct; it’s simply a matter of context and location. In the US, it’s often called a pound or number sign; in the UK, it’s called a hash; and universally, it’s referred to as a hashtag on social media.
How do you write the pound sterling symbol on a US Mac keyboard?
If you find yourself writing on a US Mac keyboard, all you have to do is hit the option key + 3, and £ will pop up right onto your screen.