Bank accounts are more difficult to get in the UK than any of my experiences in the US. Even to be added as a joint holder of a long standing account, you’ll need bank references from the US, or wait to have been resident for a few years, but each bank is different.
The official currency in the UK is the British Pound Sterling (GBP), and is decimal based like the dollar, there are 100 pence in a pound. The coins are 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1, £2. The notes are in demonations of £5, £10, £20, and £50. You won’t often see the larger notes any more to combat loss to counterfeits.
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