The Major Currencies in the World The currencies of the world's major economies have names and backgrounds that are as diverse as the countries themselves. The dollar is the name for the currency used in many countries including the United States , Canada, and Australia. It gets its name from a silver coin minted during the Middle Ages in a small valley, or "Thal" , in  Bohemia called  Joachimathal. Just a sausage Frankfurt called "Joachimsthaler" or simply " Thaler" , and came to be called  " dollar" in English. The pound, used in Britain, Egypt, and Lebanon among others, refers to the weight used in determining the value of coins, based on precious metals such as gold or sterling. The penny has the same origin as the word pawn,found in terms such as pawn shop , and  originally  meant "to  pledge".  A  penny , like  any  currency , is  a  " pledge " of value. In Italy and Turkey , the currency is called lira. The word is based on the Latin lira, meaning "pound" and once again referring to the weight of the original coins. In  Spanish , the word meaning  " weight" , peso is used to describe the  coins  that were based on a certain weight of gold or silver. Originally,there were gold coins called peso de oro and silver ones  called peso de plata. In Spain , the currency is called peseta, meaning "small peso". The word peso is used to describe the currency in many Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America. In Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, the word for crown-krone in Denmark and Norway,krona in Sweden-is used to describe the currency that was originally minted by the king and queen,with royal crowns stamped on the earlier coins. Today,the crown has been replaced by other symbols , but the name remams. The franc,used in France, Switzerland, and other countries and territories,is based on  the early coins used in France, that bore the Latin inscription franconium rex , meaning "king of the Franks". The com, as well as the country, took its name from one of the original tribes that settled in the area, the Franks. The German mark and Finnish markka derive their name from the small marks that were cut into coins to indicate their precious metal content. The German mark, deutsche mark in  German ,is often called by its  shortened name , D-mark. The ancient Chinese word yuan meant "round", or "round thing". The name of the Japanese currency, the yen, and the name of the  Chinese currency, the yuan , both derived from the old Chinese word,refer to the round shape of the original coins. Problem may arise when using the plural forms of these currencies. Most take the English  plural "s", for  example , pounds , dollars , francs , Deutschmarks , etc.  However , some are invariable: yuan, yen, baht, and rand. Others keep the plural form of the language spoken in the country of origin: lira-lire , krone-kroner, krona-kronor , markka-markkaa , etc. Currencies are said to be convertible or invertible. Semi-convertible currencies can only be bought or sold through a country's central bank for documented commercial transactions. The exchange rates are fixed. Semi-convertible currencies are typical of third world countries. A hard currency is one which is strong and unlikely to fall in value. A soft currency is one from a country with a week balance of payments and for which there is little demand. Questions for reading :