Catalog
1 Pound
| Issuer | Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury |
|---|---|
| Year | 180x |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Pound |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Uniface note with letterpress text. Large bold title 'SIERRA LEONE' at upper left, with the promise-to-pay legend and denomination 'ONE POUND Sterling' in mixed typefaces. A large circular 'O' at lower left serves as a denomination mark for illiterate bearers. Inscribed 'FREETOWN 180' with space for date, and authority line 'For the Governor and Council of the Colony of Sierra Leone' at right. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | SIERRA LEONE / I promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of ONE POUND Sterling in Bills on the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury. FREETOWN 180 / For the Governor and Council of the Colony of SIERRA LEONE / No. / Entered |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
The Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury issued £1 notes as a direct response to the Bank Restriction Act of 1797, which suspended gold convertibility and forced the Bank of England to issue small-denomination paper for the first time. The Treasury's own parallel issue was brief and largely overshadowed by the Bank of England's contemporaneous £1 and £2 notes — both institutions were filling the same gap left by the disappearance of gold from everyday commerce.
Pick A1 is among the earliest British government paper of this denomination, and surviving examples are exceptionally rare. The "180x" dating reflects the series span rather than a single print run.