The Low Down on British Currency
| Currency: | pound sterling |
| Currency code: | GBP |
| Central Bank: | Bank of England |
| Currency symbol: | £ (pound) |
| Currency sub unit: | p (penny, pence) |
| Nicknames: | Quid |
| Bank notes: | £5, £10, £20, £50 |
| Coins: | 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1, £2 |
The British Pounds is the 4th most traded currency in the world. It was first circulated in it's current decimal form in 1968.
The most commonly used bills for British Pounds are the £5, £10, £20, £50 and £100 notes. The most commonly used coins are the .01, .02, .05, .10, .20, .50, £1 and £2.
What to spend your pounds on:
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Entry to Westminster Abbey
20 Pounds
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Pint of beer
4 Pounds
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Fish and chips
5 Pounds
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Postcard and a stamp
1.5 Pounds
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3-mile taxi ride
15 Pounds
A budget
RecalculateMust-sees in England
- Brighton
- Just 90 minutes from London, Brighton is a great little getaway from the hustle and bustle of the capital. It's a great little day trip and the chalk cliffs are a great photo-op.
- Cotswolds
- The Cotswolds are an area of rolling hills and quaint villages tucked away in the middle of England that are great for exploring and are full of places quintessentially British.
- Oxford
- If you're feeling particularly erudite, Oxford is another great day trip from London where you can explore one of the oldest institutions of higher learning (and the setting for many scenes in the Harry Potter movies).
Buying British pounds online is easy
Order British pounds online, lock in the rate and collect at your local store, at the airport before you fly or have it delivered at home
Prefer to Buy in Store?
If buying online is not your thing, visit your nearest Travelex store around and one of our friendly sales consultants will help you organise your British punds for your trip to the UK.
Find a StoreTravelling to the UK in the Future?
Track Rates and get notified when the British pound matches your ideal rate so you can decide if it’s a good time to buy!
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Quick and efficient!
LizzyGreat and easy to set up
Great and easy to set up
Craig Anthony MortlockVery user friendly
Very user friendly, especially if you're computer literate...
John Sydney NapierEasy to use website
Easy to use website. Reasonable exchange rates. No hidden fees. Free delivery to pickup point for the amount I required. Availability of many different currencies.
Peter FloydFor the most part your web site was…
For the most part your web site was easy to use and the whole process, just had an issue with one section where i could not see where i had not supplied information but it would not give a prompt as to what i had missed so had to restart.
Brett DownesEasy and very convenient service
Easy and very convenient service. All done online and when your money is ready, they contact you and then you pick up at your chosen location.
StephenFriendly and personable
Friendly and personable but professional customer service. Good follow up sales but not pushy. Overall a great improvement on travelex services. In the past it was a stale place to buy and sell your cash in some locations but it has improved recently.
M KSo easy to use
So easy to use, making our trip that much better
Anne Theresa Stronachgreat to deal with
great to deal with. found out that you have to use the country of your travelex card to do any transaction on.
raymond f atkinsonBought online fast efficient pick up
Bought online fast efficient pick up
Mandi Jane PeterOnline ordering and payment were quick…
Online ordering and payment were quick and easy, I used the bpay function to avoid the credit card surcharge. Collection was also fast and easy. Great experience, will use Travelex again.
Prue ShepherdVery easy online process👍🏻
Very easy online process, great service
Maria TeresaA very easy process
A very easy process. Easy online ordering and pickup at my local post office. Very efficient process.
Jenny TaylorPreparing for trip
On phoning office, my requests were quickly and satisfyingly answered. The gentleman could not have been more helpful. Using the internet to convert and upload money was easy and comvenient.
RoseGood rates and service
Good rates and service
Brian Norbury