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5 Pounds
| Issuer | Bank of England |
|---|---|
| Year | 1902-1918 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | P#304 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Bank of England to pay the Bearer on demand the Sum of Five Pounds here or in London For the Gov. and Comp. of the BANK of ENGLAND Chief Cashier Five |
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| Signature(s) | J.G. Nairne |
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| Comments |
The Nairne-signed white fiver occupied an unusually long production window, overlapping the entire First World War period during which the Treasury — not the Bank — took over responsibility for the lower denominations. That political split is precisely why the Bank's large white notes continued uninterrupted: Bradbury's emergency currency covered the 10 shilling and £1 gap, leaving the Bank's established £5 format undisturbed.
These notes were printed on one side only, with the reverse left blank — a practice the Bank maintained on its white fivers until 1957. The partially printed format made forgery detection easier for cashiers trained to spot bleed-through irregularities. John Gordon Nairne served as Chief Cashier from 1902 to 1918, giving this issue its full date span.