The Abbreviation for Pound

Date: 2/14/96 at 9:39:4
From: Penny Ross
Subject: Pounds

Dear Dr. Math,

I was wondering why the abbrevation of pound is lb.?

Sincerely,
Andrew Rohrbach

Date: 2/16/96 at 15:40:34
From: Doctor Ethan
Subject: Re: Pounds

Hey, what a neat question.

I asked a friend and he said that according to Webster's 
Dictionary it is an abbreviation for libra, the Latin word for 
a unit of weight in ancient Rome approximately equal to but 
less than the avoirdupois pound..

Well what do you know.  I was surprised, too.

-Doctor Ethan,  The Math Forum