£sd (occasionally written Lsd) is the popular name for the pre-decimal
currencies once common throughout Europe, especially in the
British Isles and hence in several countries of the
British Empire and subsequently the
Commonwealth. The abbreviation originates from the Latin currency denominations
librae,
solidi, and
denarii. In the
United Kingdom, which was one of the last to abandon the system, these were referred to as
pounds,
shillings, and
pence (
pence being the plural of
penny). When spoken it was pronounced "ell-ess-dee", or more commonly "pounds, shillings and pence".