Why is money called a pound?

The British pound sterling (£) derives its name from the Latin expression "libra pondo", which means "a pound by weight." This originated from the use of the pound as a unit of weight in ancient Rome. The pound sterling was initially based on a physical pound of silver, which was divided into 240 pennies. Over time, the link between the pound and the weight of silver was severed, but the name "pound" remained as the unit of currency in the United Kingdom and several other countries that adopted the pound as their currency.