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
Australian ten-shilling note Australian ten-shilling note The 10/- banknote was first issued on 1 May 1913 as a blue banknote payable in gold. It was equal to a half sovereign gold coin. The sizes varied but the design was the same for the following issues: 1913–1914 issue was 194×83mm, 1915–1923 197×88 mm, 1923–1933 180×78mm. This issue was payable in gold but subsequent issues were legal tender. The 1913 note was the world's first officially issued ten-shilling note. The first note, serial number M000001, was printed by Judith Denman, five-year-old daughter of the Governor-General of Australia, Lord Denman. The last banknote issue had a