British History
The fascinating history of the ‘Ten Bob’ banknote…
The 10 Shilling Note, or ‘ten bob’, was a goodly sum in the old days – in the 1960’s it could buy 6 pints of beer, 10 loaves of bread, or 17 pints of milk.
It’s hard to imagine its decimal equivalent, the 50p, buying so much these days!
This old banknote has a fascinating history, from being issued by the Government in a wartime emergency, changing colour to avoid forgery from the Nazis and eventually being replaced by the world’s most popular coin.
The Emergency Banknote
In August 1914, the British economy was in turmoil because of the instability brought on by the oncoming war on the continent. Bankers and politicians were desperately looking for ways to secure Britain’s finances and prevent the banks from collapsing.
The Government decided that a large supply of banknotes had to be made available for the value of 10 shillings, making it easy for the public to make small transactions. However, The Bank of England was not able to prepare and print the required number of notes quickly enough, so the Government took the unprecedented step of deciding to issue the notes itself.
These banknotes became known as the Treasury banknotes and were unlike anything the British public had ever seen. Until this point the lowest denomination banknote was £5, and in those days this was such a large sum that many people would never have seen or used a banknote before.
That means that these Treasury notes now stand out as the first widely circulated banknotes in England.
The Wartime colour change
In 1928, the responsibility for printing Ten Shilling Notes was transferred to the Bank of England.
However, not long afterwards Britain once again found itself at war, and again found its currency under threat.
During World War II, Nazi Germany hatched a plan to undermine British currency. Through Operation Bernhard they believed that they had discovered a method to manufacture counterfeit ‘White Fivers’ and planned to distribute these in huge numbers to destabilise the British currency.
The Bank of England decided to take preventative action and, as a result, the 10 Shilling note was changed for duration of the war to a distinctive pink and blue in an attempt to prevent counterfeiting. It was also revolutionary in the progression of banknote technology by incorporating a metal security thread.
The Nazis could not compete with this high level anti-forgery technology and hence the British 10 Shilling Note stayed strong and supported the British wartime economy as it had done since its conception.
The 50p revolution
After undergoing a colour change during the Second World War, the ‘ten bob’ note reverted to the familiar red-brown until 1961, when a new design featuring a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was introduced.
Despite a new design for the 10 Shilling Note featuring Sir Walter Raleigh on the reverse being approved in 1964, as part of the process of decimalisation it was dropped in favour of the new fifty pence coin introduced in 1969.
The principle reason for the change was to save the treasury money, the notes had an average lifetime of around five months, whereas a coin could last for fifty years. The 50p has since gone on to become the world’s most popular and collected coin, but nowadays few realise the fascinating history of its predecessor, the 10 Shilling Banknote!
If you’re interested…
It’s now been 50 years since the last 10 Shilling Banknote was issued – which is why you now have the chance to pay tribute to this famous old note with a LIMITED EDITION DateStamp™. But only a very limited number of 10 Shilling Notes will be released in this way, so you’ll need to be quick if you want to secure one for your collection! Click here to order one today >>
Britain’s top 5 most infamous coins revealed!
Did you know that a coin could get you the sack or even killed?
Every coin tells a story and some are simply notorious.
From the Hangman’s wages to the Barmaid’s ruin, British coins have had their fair share of controversy over the years.
So, prepare to be both educated and shocked as Adam counts down the UK’s most infamous coins in our latest vlog.
If you’re interested…
Fancy adding some of Britain’s most notorious coins to your collection? Well, today you can! All you have to do is click here >>
Howzat… England are CRICKET WORLD CHAMPIONS!
Can you believe it, England have only gone and won the Cricket World Cup for the very first time.
The history-making England Cricket Team beat New Zealand in a dramatic final at Lord’s which will go down as one of the most amazing games of cricket ever played.
The boys have done the nation proud and tributes to England’s cricketing heroes have been pouring in across the country.
If you’re looking for the perfect way to celebrate and remember this important sporting occasion in our history, then we have an incredible range of commemoratives available.
Please note, since England’s magnificent win we have experienced a huge spike in collector demand and numbers are now limited across the range. It is advised that you secure your favourites as soon as possible to avoid missing out.
The Official ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 50p Coin Set
*** OVER 85% SOLD ***
If you’re a 50p fan then this set is for you. This fantastic set features five new specially commissioned designs that have been fully approved by the ICC and Buckingham Palace.
The coins come packaged in Official ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 packaging, meaning you can keep them safe for generations to come. And perhaps most importantly, this set is the only way you can own all five 50p coins in superior Brilliant Uncirculated Quality. Other than the Official ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Logo coin none are available to purchase individually.
There is now less than 15% remaining of the 9,995 worldwide edition limit and these are selling quickly. If you’d like to secure one for your collection then you’ll need to be fast. Click here to order yours >>
The 2019 England Cricket DateStamp™
This brand new DateStamp™ provides you with an extremely limited way to own the highly sought-after UK Cricket 10p and capture this historic Cricket World Cup Final Day forever.
The 10p comes protectively encapsulated in a tamper-proof capsule and will be officially postmarked by Royal Mail with the Cricket World Cup final date – 14th July 2019. Only 2,019 will ever be postmarked with this special day and as such these are proving extremely popular amongst collectors.
This is the ultimate memento to celebrate England becoming Cricket World Champions for the first time. Don’t miss out – order yours here >>
The England Cricket 2019 Winners Medal
The boys have only gone and done it! And what better way to celebrate than with the brand new England Cricket 2019 Winners Medal.
Expertly plated in 24 Carat Gold, the ‘England Winners’ design is beautifully brought to life in vivid full-colour detail. The medal comes complete in a Deluxe Presentation Case with accompanying Certificate of Authenticity, meaning you can cherish it for years to come.
Only 2,019 have been issued and these are unsurprisingly flying out. A sell-out is expected so order yours today while they’re still available >>
The Cricket 2019 Commemorative Coin Cover
If you’re a stamp collector then this would make the perfect memento for you! This special Commemorative Cover features the complete set of 1973 Royal Mail Cricket Stamps, the second ever sports-related stamps to have been issued, alongside the 2nd Class ‘Three Lions’ Definitive Stamp.
These are paired with the new ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Logo 50p Coin and the stamps have been officially postmarked by the Royal Mail on the first day of the Cricket World Cup tournament. Due to the stamps’ limited availability, only 1,000 covers have been issued for worldwide distribution.
These have already proven extremely popular with collectors and cricket fans alike, so order yours today to avoid missing out >>
The Official ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 50p
The Official ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 50p coin has been struck to a Brilliant Uncirculated quality – a superior finish sought-after by collectors.
It has been fully approved by the ICC and features the Official ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Logo on the reverse design. This is the perfect piece if you’re new to collecting or looking for a fantastic addition to your 50p collection.
Housed in Official ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 packaging this is a great way to remember what has turned out to be a truly historic tournament. Find out more and orders yours today >>
JUST ANNOUNCED: Brand NEW Royal Mail Stamps to be released to celebrate England’s historic win…
This special stamp issue will be available late Summer 2019. If you’d like to be one of the first-in-the-know, then please register your interest below and we’ll be in touch as soon as they go on sale.