odd banknote stories part two |
Odd Banknote Stories
Propaganda
The green and blue wartime Peppiatt pounds (B239 & B248) were used as propaganda leaflets |
dropped over North Africa in 1942. There are four variations, each has on the reverse Arabic text
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stating the pound is worthless and defeat is imminent.
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Air dropped over North Africa in 1942
Translation (below) of Arabic writing on reverse side of propaganda money 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, calenders etc.
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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. |
Test note for £5 note
Test note for £1 note
Bank Staff Training
During training bank staff are given piles of notes to count. These specially prepared notes are |
of many different thicknesses of paper to mimic real life and 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
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 the printers how a colour looks in all degrees of shade.
Found in large bound volumes each colour shade named and numbered
Scarce Million serial. Hand prepared, look how close the last '0' is to its neighbour
See feature on 'million serial numbers'
Prop note used in a theatre production
When the Shah of Iran was deposed his portrait was overprinted
If you tilt your head to the right you will see a VAMPIRE sucking the blood from the mans 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
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Look at the hair on the right can you see a face
After the Revolution Castro gathered all his loyal followers in the ballroom of the palace. Che
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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. |
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Its just a joke! |
£ = ? Answer 'L' for Libra, Roman word for Pound
Isle of Man stamps depicting banknotes
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