Topic summary
Bank of England note issues
The Bank of England, the central bank of the United Kingdom, has issued banknotes since 1694. In 1921 it gained a legal monopoly on the issue of banknotes in England and Wales, a process that started with the Bank Charter Act 1844, when the power of other banks to issue notes was restricted. Only the Bank of England can issue banknotes in England and Wales, where its notes are legal tender. They are not legal tender in Scotland and Northern Ireland, but are accepted there by traders alongside their local notes.
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. The Bank of England now issues notes for circulation, all in polymer, in four denominations: £5, £10, £20, and £50.
Since 1970, the Bank of England's notes have featured portraits of British historical figures. In March 2026, the Bank announced that British wildlife and British birds are set to feature on the next series of notes.