Odd Banknote Info Part Two
Odd Banknote Info
Propaganda
Facsimiles of the green and blue wartime Peppiatt pounds (B239 & B248) were used as propaganda leaflets air dropped over North Africa in 1942. There are four variations, each has on the reverse Arabic text stating the pound is worthless and defeat is imminent.
Propaganda note air dropped over North Africa in 1942
Translation (below) of Arabic writing on reverse side of propaganda note dropped by the Germans over Egypt October 1942. There are four versions.
"Marks of Defeat:
If you look at this money you will remember when you could get ten times its weight in gold. That was because the paper was guaranteed by the Bank of England with its great resources of strength and riches, but England’s greatness is gone with her possessions. It is waste paper now. What is its value? Certainly you know the cause of this. Each day that passes, a war which Britain declared, has tired the Imperial Forces, and every battle lost by England has been the cause of belittlement of British finance. The day is quickly approaching when each beggar in the street will refuse to accept a British pound note although you give it away. God our father has wished defeat of England, and it will be so."
Advertising / Promotional Notes
Printers such as Bradbury Wilkinson, De la Rue, Harrisons, Waterlow & Sons and Giori, produce promotional notes to promote the latest printing advances to their clients. Many were bound into banking almanacs, some used as promotional items, calendars etc.
Harrisons c.2000
Bradbury Wilkinson c.1995
De la Rue Giori c.2006
De la Rue c.1950
Waterlow & Sons c.1960
Waterlow & Sons c.1950
Testing
ATMs and cash handling machines that accept banknotes need to be tested, so special notes that mimic real ones are printed to test the machines.
£5 Testing note
£1 Testing note
Bank Staff Training
During training bank staff are given piles of Test notes to count. These specially prepared notes are of various grades and many different thicknesses of paper to mimic real life to test the trainees.
Credit Cards / Cash Machines
The first Barclaycard was issued in 1966. The first cash machine was in Ealing, installed in 1967. Reg Varney was the first customer withdrawing £10.
The Artist Boggs
Boggs the artist hand-drawn note used to pay for a meal in a Hotel bar
Trade Cards found with various adverts on the reverse
Colour Standards to show printers how a colour looks in all degrees of shade for the depth of engraving. Windmills, castles and cherubs seen. Found in large bound volumes, every colour shade, named and numbered.
Million Serial. Hand prepared, look how close the last '0' is to its neighbour. See article on 'million serial numbers'
Prop note used in theatre productions
When the Shah of Iran was deposed his portrait was masked out
If you tilt your head to the right you will see a VAMPIRE sucking the blood from the man's neck
The Germans thought war reparations imposed after the First World War were sucking the life's blood from their country and should be stopped.
Look at the hair on the right by the earing, you can see a face?
After the Revolution Castro gathered all his loyal followers in the ballroom of the palace. Che Guevara an uneducated man came in late and stood at the back. Castro was delegating Ministerial posts and asked "is anybody an Economist." Che put his hand up and was given the job of Finance Minister. Castro asked him afterwards why he had put his hand up to which he replied, you asked is anybody a Communist. Its a joke!
£ = ? Answer 'L' for Libra, Roman word for Pound
Isle of Man stamps depicting banknotes
