Задание

Fill in the gaps with the correct words.

British money is called "the pound", or sometimes "pounds sterling". The word "sterling" probably

with a little silver coin one thousand years ago. A "pound" to how many coins you needed to make a pound in weight. Back then, as now, this was worth a lot; check the price of 400 grams of silver today. It was a nuisance to carry so many coins, so people put them in the banks. The banks gave notes to their customers, a number of pounds. Customers used these notes to buy things from a merchant. The merchant could take the note to the bank and exchange it for a silver coin. In fact, British banknotes still say: "We promise to pay ... " on them, and then their value – followed by the signature of the Chief Cashier of the Bank of England. Of course, the notes don't get you pounds of silver anymore! For many years, they have been symbolic. In the 1960s, British banknotes began to carry pictures of British people on them. These included Elizabeth Fry, a reformer; Sir Edward Elgar; a composer and Adam Smith, an . These pictures change from to time, but there is one person who is always on a British banknote: the King or the Queen! These pictures make the notes attractive, but they have another . They are full of hidden details that make them difficult to

or "counterfeit". There are four British banknotes: £5, or "fiver"; £10 or "tenner", £20, and £50. If you are wondering why there is no £100 note or ever higher. Most banks don't like to create high-value notes, it is because it makes it easier for criminals to large amounts.