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sterling

スターリング　—　Names of money

The word marking the English fineness of silver.

Sixpence of Elizabeth I Sixpence of Elizabeth I1560s–
A photograph of what this word names.

⚠ A fineness of 925 parts per thousand remained unchanged for a long time. The very fact that it was not altered became its name, and it is now used as an adjective meaning "of genuine quality".