Some countries that traded a great deal with Britain, or were in the orbit of British imperial rule, continued to hold reserves in pounds after 1931. During World War II, Britain took advantage of this, and Argentina, Egypt, and India, in particular, built up huge claims on sterling, although it was an unattractive currency.
一些与英国有巨额贸易的国家或一些英联邦国家在1931年后继续以英镑作为其主要外汇储备。在第二次世界大战期间，英国充分利用了这一点，因此虽然英镑已不复昔日荣光，但阿根廷、埃及、特别是印度仍成为了主要的英镑债权国。 大战结束时，他们想到了使用这笔储备的新方法：花掉它们。