STERLING, (Sterlingum), was the epithet for silver money current within this kingdom, and took name from this: That there was a pure coin stamped first in England by the Easterlings, or merchants of East Germany, by the command of king John; and Hoveden writes it Esterlings. Instead of the pound Sterling, we now say so many pounds of lawful English money: but the word is not wholly disused, for though we ordinarily say lawful money of England, yet in the mint they call it Sterling money; which is meant to denote the certain degree of fineness which ought to be retained in the respective coins.