Scottish notes are not legal tender

[Chris Paton]

Slightly stunned to learn that the only bank notes that are legal tender in the UK are those issued by the Bank Of England - and they are only legal tender in England and Wales. The three banks in Northern Ireland and the three in Scotland do not issue notes that are legal tender, although are used legitimately as the agreed form of transaction in Scotland and NI.

I think if people had known that their own country does not have a legal currency, the last election result might have been more of a landslide for the SNP! lol

As far as I am aware, from the SCAN website, Scotland's currency was pegged to English sterling in 1603 (at 1 English pound to 12 pounds Scots), and then abolished in 1707. But I somehow thought the Scots notes we use were still legal.

Details at the Bank of England site http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/about/faqs.htm.

You live and learn!

Chris

[Muriel]

You used to have to change your notes before you went south of the border. Now that banks like RBS are better known there is less of a problem, particularly in London & the north of England, but I still try to get to a cash machine as soon as possible after hitting English soil.

Muriel

[Chris Paton]

Oh I know, my mum used to live in Wolverhampton, and they would never take Scottish notes off me, and that was just four years ago. She has since moved to Manchester, which seems to be much more enlightened. But I always thought our currency up here (and the one I use back home in NI) was actually legal!!!

I really think we should keep it to ourselves and not let the general population know, or there'll be a riot! lol

Chris

[DavidWW]

There's a subtle difference between legally issued banknotes and banknotes that are legal tender !

See the thread on TS at http://talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic. ... gal+tender from which the following is an extract.......


http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/busin ... b03-51.pdf sums up the situation rather neatly. This extract from that site......

To conclude, Scottish banknotes are not, strictly speaking, legal tender in either Scotland or the rest of the UK. However, this does not diminish their value as currency. Scottish banknotes are printed in accordance with UK wide laws laid down by Acts of the UK Parliament at Westminster. Approximately 99.8% of Scottish banknotes are backed up by equivalent holdings of Bank of England banknotes and all Scottish banknotes carry a promise to pay an equivalent amount of legal tender should they be presented to the issuing bank.

http://www.siliconglen.com/Scotland/1_7.html has some interesting things to say, including:

Scottish bank notes are not legal tender in Scotland. English bank notes of denomination less than 5UKP were legal tender in Scotland under Currency and Bank Notes Act 1954. Now, with the removal of BoE 1UKP notes, only coins constitute legal tender in Scotland. English bank notes are only legal tender in England, Wales, The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. In Scotland, 1 pound coins are legal tender to any amount, 20ps and 50ps are legal tender up to 10 pounds; 10p and 5ps to 5 pounds and 2p and 1p coins are legal tender to 20p (separately or in combination). 2 pounds coins and (if you can get hold of one) 5 pound coins are also legal tender to unlimited amounts, as are gold coins of the realm at face value (in Scotland at least).

Northern Irish notes are not legal tender anywhere, a situation similar to Scottish notes. Whether Scottish notes are legal tender or not does not change alter their inherent value but it dictates their legal function. Credit cards, cheques and debit cards are not legal tender either but it doesn't stop them being used as payment. Only a minuscule percentage of Scottish and British trading is carried out using legal tender. Just because something is not legal tender certainly doesn't imply it's illegal to use.

The lack of a true legal tender in Scotland does not cause a problem for Scots Law which is flexible enough to get round this apparent legal nonsense, as was demonstrated some time ago when one local authority tried to refuse a cash payment (in Scottish notes) on the grounds it wasn't "legal tender", but lost their case when the sheriff effectively said that they were obliged to accept anything which was commonly accepted as "money", and that should their insistence on "legal tender" have been supported, it would have resulted in the bill being paid entirely in coins, which would have been a nonsense; stopping short of saying that the council would have been "cutting off their nose to spite their face", but seeming to hint at it.

David

[ASGROOMBRIDGE]

Oh boy, I returned from Scotland yesterday and went into town this morning with Scottish notes and was refused in M AND S so popped into my bank with them and the lady in there exchanged them, I was really afronted as I never had problems in London but Somerset has no likeing for Scottish notes.

Not fare, wonder if they refuse the euro.

Audrey

[Chris Paton]

I'm going to have to keep some loose change on me at all times now, just to be safe!

As for the situation in Frome, I think a pint of Scrumpy would sort any situation out there! lol

I actually have nightmares about Frome... I was working on a TV documentary eleven years ago about Country Life magazine's centenary anniversary, and we had to film somewhere near Frome, though I can't remember exactly where, but I had to drive through the village to get to the location. I had literally passed my driving test two days before, and so this was my first trip solo out of Bristol. I got to Frome, drove into the village, but could not find the right turn off out of the village. I spent half an hour driving round in circles, before finally working out where to go. I ended up on location late, got an absolute roasting from the director, and bought a mobile phone a week later! lol

Aye, it's weird in them parts, I can see why they'd give ye gip over a Scots tenner....! lol Mind you, I returned to Frome a few years later to film an episode of Time Flyers, and it seemed a lot easier second time around!

Chris

[DavidWW]

Oh boy, I returned from Scotland yesterday and went into town this morning with Scottish notes and was refused in M AND S so popped into my bank with them and the lady in there exchanged them, I was really afronted as I never had problems in London but Somerset has no likeing for Scottish notes.

Not fare, wonder if they refuse the euro.

Audrey

Hi Audrey

That M&S response just beggars belief

It would be quite fascinating to see if your local M&S would accept Euro banknotes !!

David

[DavidWW]

I'm going to have to keep some loose change on me at all times now, just to be safe!

Sadly, in at least UK terms, always advisable.

As regards the situation overseas, in which category I include England (Wales, N Ireland and other parts of the UK are, in my opinion, no problem), it's far from uncommon to find that Scottish banknotes are regarded as less valuable than Bank of England banknotes, with the conversion rate offered being lower than that for "Sterling".

As for the situation in Frome, I think a pint of Scrumpy would sort any situation out there! lol

A whole pint of Zoomerset Scrumpy would indeed be most likely to sort out any such problem

I actually have nightmares about Frome... I was working on a TV documentary eleven years ago about Country Life magazine's centenary anniversary, and we had to film somewhere near Frome, though I can't remember exactly where, but I had to drive through the village to get to the location. I had literally passed my driving test two days before, and so this was my first trip solo out of Bristol. I got to Frome, drove into the village, but could not find the right turn off out of the village. I spent half an hour driving round in circles, before finally working out where to go. I ended up on location late, got an absolute roasting from the director, and bought a mobile phone a week later! lol

No comment

Aye, it's weird in them parts, I can see why they'd give ye gip over a Scots tenner....! lol Mind you, I returned to Frome a few years later to film an episode of Time Flyers, and it seemed a lot easier second time around!

Chris

It all depends on the attitude towards Scottish banknotes of the person to whom such banknotes are offered ............

David

[Chris Paton]

It all depends on the attitude towards Scottish banknotes of the person to whom such banknotes are offered ............

Or how much you growl at them when you demand they accept it...!

Chris

[DavidWW]

It all depends on the attitude towards Scottish banknotes of the person to whom such banknotes are offered ............

Or how much you growl at them when you demand they accept it...!

Chris

"growl" ??, - no me !!

David