Simplify the following text for a Grade 8 native English-speaking person.
Original: Â # sd ( sometimes pronounced , and occasionally written , L.s.d. ) was the popular name for the pre-decimal currencies ( sterling ) used in the Kingdom of England , later the United Kingdom , and ultimately in much of the British Empire .
Simplified: Â # sd ( pronounced , and sometimes written , L.s.d. ) was the popular name for the pre-decimal currencies ( sterling ) used in the United Kingdom and in most of the British Empire .