Sterling
Defined in 4 dictionaries — Cyclopedic (1922), Bouvier (1914), Black's (1910), Kinney (1893)
The Cyclopedic Law Dictionary
Walter A. Shumaker and George Foster Longsdorf; ed. James C. Cahill · 1922
Current money of Great Britain, but anciently a small coin worth about one penny, and so called, as some suppose, because it was stamped with the figure of a small star, or, as others suppose, because it was first stamped in England in the reign of King John by merchants from Germany, called "Esterlings." "Pounds sterling" originally signified so many pounds in weight of these coins. Thus, we find in Matthew Paris, A. D. 1242, the expression, Accepit a rege pro stipendio tredecim libras esterlingorum. The secondary or derived sense is a certain value in current money, whether in coins or other currency. Lowndes, 14; Watts.
Bouvier's Law Dictionary and Concise Encyclopedia
John Bouvier; revised by Francis Rawle · 1914
Current money of Great Britain, but anciently a small coin worth about one penny, and so called, as some suppose, because it was stamped with the figure of a small star, or, as others suppose, because it was first stamped in England in the reign of King John by merchants from Germany called Esterlings. See Hanseatic League. Pounds sterling originally signified so many pounds in weight of these coins. Thus we find in Matthew Paris, a. d. 1242, the expression Accepit a rege pro stipendio tredecim libras esterlingorum. The secondary or derived sense is a certain value in current money, whether in coins or other currency. Lowndes 14; Watts, Gloss. Sterling.
Black's Law Dictionary
Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910
A Law Dictionary and Glossary
George C. Kinney · 1893
In English laiv. Current or standard coin, especially silvei coin; a standard of coinage.
In old English law. A penny.