At first, the sea was formed around 5.6 million years ago, due to a large-scale flood, but the waters were separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Strait of Gibraltar, so, in the hundreds of thousands of years that followed, the water spreads dried out almost completely.
The Irish Punt was legal tender in the Republic of Ireland until 2002, when Ireland joined the Euro. This guide outlines the sources for historical exchange rates between the Irish Punt and Pound Sterling. The Irish Punt established by the Currency Act 1927 had a fixed link with Pound Sterling until March 1979.
A deep dive on pounds. British Pounds are the 4th most traded currency in the foreign exchange market. The first decimal coins were introduced in 1968. More info on pounds. The bills in circulation for British pounds are Â£5, Â£10, Â£20, and Â£50 notes. The coins in circulation are 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, Â£1 and Â£2.