Bank of England note issues Bank of England note issues The Bank of England, which is now the central bank of the United Kingdom, has issued banknotes since 1694. In 1921 The Bank of England gained a legal monopoly on the issue of banknotes in England and Wales, a process that started with the Bank Charter Act of 1844 when the ability of other banks to issue notes was restricted. Banknotes were originally hand-written; although they were partially printed from 1725 onwards, cashiers still had to sign each note and make them payable to someone. Notes were fully printed from 1855. Since 1970, the Bank
Danske Bank £10 note banknotes were always printed on both sides. These early notes were only payable at the branch which issued them, and so required the name of the branch to be printed on them. In the 1860s a new series of notes was produced which featured the names of multiple branches of the bank. Northern Irish banknotes are fully backed such that holders have the same level of protection as those holding genuine Bank of England notes. The £10 note is currently the smallest denomination of banknote issued by Danske Bank. The current £10 note featuring an image of inventor John Boyd