Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-13
Famous Bank Notes.

THE Bank of England bank note 10,
everything considered. the most
widely known paper money i'm the
world. Uncle Sans credit is growing
better all the time in the money mar.
kets of the world. and since he pos
sesses at this time practically tbs
major portion of the gold supply, his
gold notes especially are eagerly
sought the world over. But our worthy
Uncle issues several different kinds OF
notes. which tend to confuse foreign
ers and complicate their affairs. while
the canny "Old Lady of Threadneedle
Street" as the Bank of England Is
called. issues them only in one form.
which has been maintained virtually
without change ever since 1894, when
the "Old Lady" began to do business.
Go where you will in any part of the
civilized or half civilized world and
you need not want for money IL YOU
have in your pocketbook one of these
plafn-looking squares of white paper
upon which the promise of the Gov.
ernor and the Company of the Bank
of England" to pay the bearer the
sum of f5 is engraved.
The paper used for the manufac.
ture OF Bank of England notes Is like
no other paper known. For nearly 200
y
the bank by the same firm of paper
makers. 1t is made of fine linen cut
tings, and the process of it's manufac-
ture is carefully guarded secret
known only to the most trusted EN-.
plOyes of the makers.
1t is of peculiar whiteness and its
crisp texture is readily recognizable
by those accustomed to handle money.
1t is very tough, and folded note IS
said to be capable of sustaining a
weight of so pounds without tearing.
The paper is made in oblong shape,
just the size of two notes, printed
side by side. and for this reason a
Bank of England note always has
three rough deckle edges and one
straight one where the two notes have
been cut apart.
CuriOusly enough, the note is not OF
equal thickness all over, but iS re
infOrced' in one portion of the upper
lefthand corner, where a vignette of
the figure of Britannia is printed. 1t
would require very sensitive fingers.
indeed, to detect this slight additional
thickness in a note, but when a dozen
or so new ones are held together the
increase in bulk is easily felt.
The Bank of England never pays
out the same note twice. If you pre-
sent a check in the paying depart.
ment and Immediately redeposit the
notes in the receiving department,
those particular notes are retired and
Immediately Cancelled. They are held
by the bank for a few years, after
which they are burned.
There are some curious stories told
about Bank of England notes. In
1740 note for 900 was lost by
being drawn up the chimney by the
draft. and the owner of the note was
reimbursed for the amount lost. Some
years afterward, when the owner was
dead and his house was being demol-
jshed, the note was found intact in a
crevice of the chimney. 1t was pre-
sented by the owners heirs, and paid,
though not without protest, by the
bank. A butcher in 1887 requested a.
loan of rs 900 on one of two f25 900
notes that were issued in that year.
Such a large note in the possession OF
a plain butcher naturally caused com.
ment, and it was pointed out TO him
that he was losing a small income in
interest as long as he kept his funds
tied up thus. His only answer was
that he liked the looks of the f25 900
note and that he had another just like
it at home.