100 Dollars Thomas Cook and Son Travelers Cheque

Thomas Cook & Son formalized its banking arm — Thos. Cook & Son (Bankers) Ltd. — partly to legitimize the travelers cheque operation it had been running informally since the 1870s. By the time Bradbury Wilkinson produced this piece at their New Malden works, the cheque had become the dominant instrument for tourist foreign exchange, effectively sidelining letter-of-credit arrangements that private banks had used for decades prior.

Bradbury Wilkinson's security printing credentials were substantial — they held contracts for numerous colonial and Commonwealth note issues simultaneously — which made them a logical choice for a product whose entire commercial value rested on being unforgeable in the field.