Scottish notes in England

williham

We had to get a supervisor to check Scottish notes and then we wouldn't give them back in change because it's not good practice.. Some shops might not accept them and then the customer would get annoyed with our shop for giving it to them.

CynicalScotsman

Nukumai wrote: »

No banknote whatsoever is legal tender in Scotland.

I think I covered that in this statement:

"The only legal tender note in Scotland is a Bank of England £1 note - which doesn't exist!"

The Currency & Bank Notes Act 1954 states that:

English banknotes of denominations less than GBP 5 are legal tender in Scotland.

Nukumai

CynicalScotsman wrote: »

I think I covered that in this statement: "The only legal tender note in Scotland is a Bank of England £1 note - which doesn't exist!"

True. Though it would be equally true to say that a Bank of England £3 note (which also doesn't exist) "is legal tender". Either way, we are playing with words here...

You do make an interesting point, though...whilst the 'legal tender' status of the £1 note was officially revoked in (I think) 1985, I don't think that the terms within the Act referring to Scottish and Nthn Irish legal tender were ever explicitly amended or repealed etc.

nomoneytoday

It's not legal tender, but generally accepted as payment of debt

broxiebear1

i live in scotland and go to sunderland a lot i have been looked at as if i had horns in my head when i try to pay in scottish notes i usually say aye i made it yesterday in broad scotch.
if i can i wait till im down there before i take any money out of atm

CG19a

What CynicalScotsman says is correct. Only Bank of England notes of less than £5 (of which there are none) are legal tender in Scotland. This is due to a peculiarity of law. After the 2nd World War, there were a lot of forgeries being made, so Westminster legislated to protect the economy and at the time made a law that stopped notes of more than £5 being legal tender anywhere in the country. Later when they were repealing the law, they didn't include Scotland, since in parliament it has to be legislated for separately.

The other point to add, legal tender is only applicable when paying a debt. When you are going through a checkout, you don't own the products yet, so aren't in debt and the shop can refuse to accept any payment form it likes, however in a restaurant where you have eaten your meal and go to pay, you are technically in debt to the restaurant and therefore they must accept legal tender to pay the bill.

bingo_bango

I live in N Ireland and regularly travel to England, Wales and Scotland. I've had local notes accepted all over the place, and have only ever once had a query. That was in Scotland, where they looked at me like I was mad in the head. The manager came out and had a quick look which confirmed the note was real, and I went on ahead with the purchase.

I have however started to ask when I go into a bar restaurant etc if they are happy to accept them, as if not I can go find a cash machine.

sundancegirl

I go to Wigan to visit my Dad but I'm from Glasgow.

I have found everthing fine with Scottish fivers. Its £1 notes which are not legal in England, which was mentioned in a previous post.

I suppose if you work in a shop and a Scottish note is unusual to someone then they may question it but usually when you explain its all fine.

I have been in pubs and taxis in Wigan and they just laugh at you then you explain its "Legal Tender" and its normally always ok.

Michael Macintyre goes on about "Legal Tender" in one of his routines. Rather amusing. Look it up on You Tube!

cally6008

I work in Carlisle (5miles as crow flies from scottish border) and we regularly get given scottish, irish, clydesdale bank notes etc. As long as they have STERLING on the note, we accept it ... even the old scottish £1 notes.

The problem comes when you get someone drunk bright spark trying to pay for his sandwich n fags with an old english five pound note that went out of circulation back in 2003.

cally6008

PS - Thanks to Chester_Draws for link to BofE website, just emailed requesting a handful of the Elgar withdrawl leaflets for work as all we've got up is a note scribbled in blue marker pen that doesnt show any diagrams or pictures at all.