Catalog
1 Guinea = 1 Pound 1 Shilling Sterling
| Issuer | Royal Bank of Scotland |
|---|---|
| Year | 1777 |
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| Currency | Pound sterling (1694-date) |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is set in an eighteenth-century letterpress style, with a decorative cartouche at upper left incorporating a circular vignette of a portrait bust of King George III. A blue typeset panel at upper right bears the denomination 'One Guinea'. The text body, in copperplate script and roman type, reads 'The Royal Bank of Scotland is hereby obliged to pay to [blank] or the Bearer on demand ONE POUND ONE SHILLING Sterling. By Order of the Court of Directors,' with a manuscript date of Edinburgh, 1st September 1777, and two manuscript signatures below. |
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| Obverse lettering | One Guinea Edin.r 1st Sept.r 1777 The Royal Bank of SCOTLAND is hereby obliged to pay to or the Bearer on demand ONE POUND ONE SHILLING Sterling. By Order of the Court of Directors |
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| Comments |
The guinea denomination was an awkward but commercially necessary concession. Scotland's merchant class conducted much of their trade with England using guinea-based pricing — livestock, professional fees, and luxury goods were all quoted in guineas — so a bank that issued only round-pound notes faced a practical disadvantage. The Royal Bank began issuing guinea notes in the 1730s, making this a well-established series by 1777 rather than an experiment.
Scottish private bank notes of this period were legally enforceable obligations, not merely conveniences. The optional clause allowing deferred payment, briefly used by Scottish banks in the 1760s, had been prohibited by the Bank Notes (Scotland) Act 1765 — so by 1777 this note carried an unconditional promise to pay on demand.