Catalog
50 Pounds White
| Issuer | Bank of England |
|---|---|
| Year | 1739-1751 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Letterpress-printed in black on white paper, with a Britannia vignette at upper left. The text of the promise to pay is set out below in period typography, with manuscript date and serial number completed by hand. This example has been cancelled: the denomination block is punched through and the Chief Cashier's signature has been removed. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | No. 152 I Promise to pay to _ or bearer on Demand the sum of FIFTY Pounds London the 20 day of Jan 1748. For the Gov:r and Comp.a £FIFTY [Bank of England] Ent.d |
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| Comments |
The "white note" format — unprinted white paper with hand-engraved text and manuscript additions — was the Bank of England's standard form from its founding in 1694 through to the mid-twentieth century. These early partially-printed notes were filled out by cashiers in ink: the payee name, date, and amount completed by hand at the counter. The £50 denomination placed this squarely in the realm of merchant and commercial banking; few private individuals would have handled one.
Forgery was already a serious problem by the 1730s, and a conviction carried the death penalty — yet the notes' relatively simple printed elements made imitation tempting. The Bank prosecuted forgers aggressively throughout this period.