All Bank of England banknotes issued since Series C in 1960 show Elizabeth II, who was monarch at the time, on the obverse, prominently on the left; Your image also appears as a hidden watermark pointing to the right; Recent editions have the EURion anti-copier security constellation around. Until 2006, these treasury bills were issued by the Bank of England of the City of London. Her Majesty`s Treasury would manage its treasury and ensure that sufficient funds were available. London banks and other financial institutions bid at a discount for these instruments, indicating the day of the following week on which the notes are to be issued. The terms are one, three, six or theoretically, but not practically, twelve months. The offers were for the face value of treasury bills less a discount representing the interest rate. This system was replaced by a computerized system of the Debt Management Office, an executive agency of the Treasury, and the last treasury bills were printed in September 2003. These notes were often exchanged with other banks, so they circulated; This was done without the knowledge of the Bank of England, and the notes were refunded by the bank to the holder on their maturity date. The circulation of banknotes led to the theft of City bonds on 2 May 1990 when John Goddard, a messenger for the Sheppards company, was stolen for £292 million in treasury bills and certificates of deposit. All but two of these links were eventually restored. [48] Until the mid-19th century, private banks in Britain and Ireland could issue their own notes. Paper money issued by a large number of provincial and municipal banking companies in England,[11][12][13] Wales,[14] Scotland,[15] and Ireland[16] circulated freely as a means of payment. The Bank of England`s £100,000,000 note, also known as titanium, is a non-circulating pound sterling note used to guarantee the value of banknotes issued by commercial banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Bank of England has a legal monopoly on the issue of banknotes in England and Wales, but for historical reasons, six banks, three in Scotland and three in Northern Ireland, also issue their own notes, which circulate in the system and can be used for cash transactions anywhere in the UK – but the law requires issuing banks to own a sum of Bank notes. of England (or gold). the total value of debt securities issued. [3] Versions of the pound sterling issued by Crown Dependencies and other territories are regulated by their local governments, not the Bank of England. The following security features can be found on the paper notes. When you tilt the £20 paper note from side to side, the holographic images on the aluminum strip switch between a “£” symbol and the number “20”. When you flip the £50 note from top to bottom, or side to side, the images on the green thread alternate between a “£” symbol and the number “50”. When paper banknotes are held against the light, there is a bright face value at the top of the Queen`s portrait in the watermark. The Bank of England now issues banknotes, all made of polymer, in four denominations – £5, £10, £20 and £50. The system regulates the distribution, processing and storage of our tickets. At the outbreak of World War I, the government issued £1 and £10 notes to replace sovereign and semi-sovereign gold coins.

The first coloured banknotes were issued in 1928 and were also the first to be printed on both sides. World War II saw a reversal of the war trend, creating more banknotes: to combat counterfeiting, higher banknotes (some as high as £1,000) were withdrawn from circulation. The Bank of England has a number of criteria for selecting signs for banknotes – first, it looks at who was previously introduced to reflect the diversity of society. It does not accept fictional characters or living persons other than the reigning monarch, but is addressed to individuals who are both widely admired and have made a significant contribution to British society and culture. The last criterion is that the person has an easily recognizable portrait. [58] It does not have to be a painting, as two sculptures and two photographs were used until September 2022. After the 2007/08 financial crisis, a number of banks were rescued from collapse by the UK government. The Banking Act 2009 was passed to improve the protection of holders of banknotes issued by authorised banks, so that banknotes have the same guaranteed value as Bank of England banknotes. [95] [96] Critics of the 2009 Act expressed concern that it would restrict the issuance of banknotes by commercial banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland by removing many of the provisions of the earlier legislation cited above. [97] Under the original proposals, banks would have been obliged to deposit funds in pounds sterling with the Bank of England to cover the issue of private notes for an entire week instead of a weekend, thus losing interest for four days and making the production of banknotes financially unprofitable.

After negotiations between the British Treasury, the Bank of England and Scottish banks, it was agreed that the funds would earn interest so that they could continue to issue their own notes. [98] The Bank of England`s first £5 note was issued in 1793[22] in response to the need for smaller notes to replace gold coins during the French Wars of Independence. (Previously, the smallest note issued was £10.) The 1793 design, later known as the “White Fiver” (black print on white paper), remained essentially unchanged until the 21st century. In February 1957, when the multicolored (though mostly dark blue) “Series B” banknote was introduced, depicting the helmeted Britannia. The former “white five” was withdrawn on March 13, 1961. [22] The banknotes currently in circulation all feature a portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse.