UK Banknote History - A Quick Tour

A quick trip back in time, featuring of all the banknotes used in the UK during the reign of Elizabeth II.

[@webdesignerguy]

That Series C £10 note really was worth a fortune back in the day. Adjusted for inflation it was worth about £200 in today's money!

[@shadowfan982]

same price with the £50 note in 1981, and when they brought out £20 pound notes in 1970 it was worth around £300

[@JohnSmith-ki1ev]

Thank you your video brought back old memorys.

[@doctorwhoproductions834]

I wish they brought the £1 note back it would be a lot easier then having lots of change in you pocket or wallet

[@deeremeyer1749]

How does having a 1-pound note result in no longer needing or having change? Does everything cost even pounds in the U.K.? You've got what, 7 coins from "one penny" to one pound and bringing back the one-pound note is going to dramatically reduce that amount of change you handle? Uh, okay.

[@deeremeyer1749]

According to this other "British money explained" video you still have 1-pound notes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZyQZ4etgrimZ5I

[@AnixCo1990]

Doctor who Productions It wouldnt b worth it since the pound aint what it used to b. They would b wasting money producing those notes since they would have to replace them far more often than coins. Its a similar situation here in the states with many arguing for the removal of the one dollar note, replacing it with a coin which would save us money over time.

[@worldbanknotescollecter1132]

True

[@shanemanchester]

What a great video. I’ve recently started collecting old banknotes, British ones especially, I’ve just got an old 1945 white fiver. 👍👍😀😀

[@swiftlemur7853]

That is great! Good luck , i hope you collect all soon

[@HarpalSingh-sy8ev]

Such a nice video, really simple but well thought out and informative (I didn't realise the Series E notes had a copyright mark, nor that the earlier notes from the series had a crown symbol which was replaced with the note denomination later). The reverse of the Series B blue £5 is my favourite (such a majestic looking lion).

[@BrettGossage]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Hedgehog2529]

that was very interesting never knew there were so many different bank notes in the last 60 years thanks for posting a lovely piece of history hopefully others see it too :)

[@BrettGossage]

Thanks for your comment. We use these banknotes everyday and sometimes don't give them a second thought (Other than their value!)

[@MVE200]

Thank you for this video, I’ve just spent the best 10 minutes reliving my childhood 😊

[@michelleregis6181]

Next to Canadian paper money, banknotes from the uk are my favorite, the Colours, and design etc. are very fine . thanks

[@CharlieFlemingOriginal]

The 1960s ones looked really nice.

[@alhart404]

Great presentation.Thank you very much.

[@LRC92]

Series F only consisted of the £20 and £50 notes issued in 2007 and 2011 respectively and the new polymer £5, £10 and upcoming £20 and £50 are series G.

[@DanielVodenitcharov]

Personally my favorite bank notes are the US bills from before the 90s, I feel they are the most classic looking and is what I immediately think of when someone says money.

[@bobjacobson858]

I'm in the States, and I agree. The essentially symmetrical monochromatic notes were easily distinguished from those of other countries, and they included 11 different circulating denominations going back to 1928 (all of which are still legal tender although the four largest denominations are mostly in collections, both because their collector values greatly exceed their face values, and they are "retired"--i.e., destroyed--if they find their way back to any of the Federal Reserve Banks). I'm glad that the $1 and $2 still exist in that form (although the former was changed somewhat in 1963). There is a law that says the design of the $1 note cannot be changed in the future.

[@arwelp]

I remember the Series C tenner - when I turned 16 an insurance policy my parents had started for me when I was born paid out, and I remember the insurance man counting out eight of those in front of me on the table at home. I was rich! (My older brothers had had policies too, but they got less because they were 10+ years older than me - the idea was to give us a little nest egg when we reached school leaving age). My dad used to give my mum a series C £5 every month, and apart from what we grew on the farm, that was what she had to feed us all with.

[@BrettGossage]

These have the most vivid memories of money for me as well, when I was young!

[@tomkerr552]

I loved the 60s notes. I was a bus conductor in the early 70s and brought back memories. I loved the old 10 shilling note. I remember them in my pay packet along with one pound notes and with two half-crowns.

[@juliettewalker2859]

Very interesting thank you

[@MaxRadin]

Thank you for posting. Question: especially for the older series notes (and even back to the 1930s): were the serial numbers printed during a second run i.e. base note first, then serial number? Thank you.

[@Robby334]

Very interesting thanks

[@senya7196]

Great collection. Good review.

[@BrettGossage]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@fuckbollock]

Awesome video. Some nostalgia right there

[@BrettGossage]

Thanks, Yes, I can remember back to Series 'C' (my favourite)

[@chippanfat3330]

Very interesting

[@bobjacobson858]

Nice presentation! I have a collection including many of these--for example, 6 different 5 pound notes, with the oldest two being the predecimal versions shown in the video. I hope to add a 5 pound "white note" to my collection.

[@BrettGossage]

Yes, I must say that I would have liked to include the old white fiver, but didn't have any!

[@andynoble9786]

hello mate, can you help me please, I noticed when you went through the 90s note so said on how the tenner and twenty pound note was revised and changed by the crown being replaced on top right with the £10 or £20 sign did they do this with the £5 as well ??? as i been trying to collect them and hit a stumbling block with the first set and difference with the revised set

[@BrettGossage]

Andy - No, I don't think they did this with the £5...

[@andynoble9786]

@@BrettGossage thanks for the reply mate

[@shadowfan982]

the new fiver is in a different series to the current 20 and 50 pound note

[@BrettGossage]

Yes, the new plastic notes (£5 and £10) are part of Series 'G', although the overall designs of the £5, £10, £20 and £50 are now all the same - There will be a new £20 plastic 'Series G' note featuring JMW Turner issued in 2020.

[@sidkings]

Thanks for the video. I'm working on my UK bank note collection as we speak. Mostly bidding on eBay 😂.. Cheers

[@BrettGossage]

Go for it!

[@craigdunn3231]

I like it

[@ianport2185]

Ah series 'C'. Was born in '66 so have no memory of the 10 shilling note, hardly any of the fiver or the tenner, but very fond memories of the one pound note. Says something about the precise time I was born..!

[@BrettGossage]

Yes, same here LOL!

[@kerry3355]

I remember the D notes classic British Money .

[@GenialHarryGrout]

On the back of a 1960's £10 it says " I promise to pay the bearer" when it should have said, "I will try to pay the bearer but I can't make promises" with the note signed by Harold Wilson. I was surprised not a white £5 in this collection.

[@BrettGossage]

I never really got into white fivers - there were so many variations - and fakes!

[@craigdunn3231]

It is in interesting

[@cjbrad2582]

A lot of D series £50 notes was issued due to the brinks matt gold robbery.

[@djmull63]

What about Scottish notes?

[@whitfordluciano980]

What is the value of the 1960, One Pound..??

[@andynoble9786]

also from the 70s I noticed the 10

[@DeanINQUISITORYatesnwo]

Bradbury pound missing ???

[@mocanualexandru1983]

i love british notes

[@BrettGossage]

The designs really are like art forms!

[@milagrosbondy739]

Hey can someone give me a summary of the video please

[@pavelguran4374]

nice banknotes

[@richardmunoz4771]

Where are the white £5?

[@KisanKug]

who remembers the whoah you got aa you r so rich (apparently it was 400)

[@titinuk6681]

I didn't know the UK used all the same notes.....I was told that Scottish or Northern Ireland or something had their own notes....

[@BrettGossage]

Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own notes. They are all legal tender throughout the UK although a lot of places in the UK don't like accepting them!

[@deeremeyer1749]

Like everything else in that "nation" of "united" countries, the monetary system is apparently a giant clusterfuck. To the point that its actually "banks" that print their OWN "banknotes" so its impossible to have a "common currency" period. Cheaper that way, no doubt. Even if it costs more money.

[@frerg8363]

Never got me ‘ands on a fifty *sniff*

[@danielrichter2452]

I was hoping to see white notes!

[@deeremeyer1749]

The "series" dates back to 1928 but yet all of the notes within it have been used during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II who didn't "ascend the throne" until 1951? The new queen didn't warrant or justify a new series of "bank notes"? Wow. When did she start deserving all the other things publicly honoring and memorializing her "prehumously"?

[@KisanKug]

so not 1958

[@dcarbs2979]

Acceeded 1952, crowned 1953

[@Larkinchance]

no all white fiver from the 50's?

[@memsify2]

0:12 You don’t have a £10 note

[@samlowe9515]

Stephen Cook It wasn’t out yet

[@deeremeyer1749]

What is up with the statement "I PROMISE TO PAY TO THE BEARER THE SUM OF" on some of the notes? Are those notes MONEY or some kind of "bearer bond" to be exchanged for "money" on demand when its presented to the issuing bank? How would the "bearer" of the note be paid "5 POUNDS" or "50 POUNDS" as far as "currency" goes or rather "went" at the time? And are those "notes" worthless once they're "withdrawn". U.S. currency is "retired" and is removed from circulation gradually but Federal Reserve Notes remain valid and have their "face value" indefinitely until exchanged for whatever "new" currency has replaced them when they're "legal tender" notes aka "money". Retired notes in private collections were either never circulated and "issued" to begin with, were never "legal tender" put into general circulation and are large bills used for "internal" payments between the Federal Reserve Banks or were "bearer bonds" that could be exchanged for gold or "goldbacks" and were cancelled when redeemed. If that 50-pound note wasn't created until 1981, that means it came along long after the "gold standard" was "abolished". So what was it redeemed for or with if the "bearer" presented it for payment?

[@mattcrooke8321]

The words ‘I promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of five [ten/twenty/fifty] pounds’ appears on all of our banknotes. This phrase dates from long ago when our banknotes represented deposits of gold. At that time, a member of the public could exchange one of our banknotes for gold of the same value. For example, a £5 note could be exchanged for five gold coins, called sovereigns. However, the value of the pound has not been linked to gold for many years, so the meaning of the promise to pay has changed. You can no longer exchange banknotes for gold. Bank of England banknotes can only be exchanged for other Bank of England banknotes of the same face value.

[@anthonymacgregor9790]

I am assuming it is something the UK has not bothered to remove from the bank notes after the gold standard was abolished even though it would make sense to do remove the statement.