Nerdy Note Discussion: Scottish Bank Notes Aren’t Legal Tender...

A.Jones

alibalibee2 wrote: »

My Family live in York and I live in Edinburgh. Can I say that I have never been refused by any shop in Scotland when I have used an English note. In fact they are more and more common her now.

With regards to using Scottish notes in england it is a joke! Everytime I visit my family I have issues.

I live in York during the week and just outside Glasgow at weekends, and I can honestly say that I have never had a problem using Scottish notes in York. Be it Tesco (although I usually use a cashback credit card in there), the corner shop or a taxi, I've never had a problem.

Horden

My understanding is that Scottish pound notes are acceptable tender (i.e. not legal) - they will be exchanged at a 1:1 rate by banks for legal tender (no commission) and therefore can be accepted as payment for goods or services but retailers etc. are not legally obliged to accept them.

lloydfaber

My sisteen year old daughter was refused access onto a bus last year in Manchester because the driver would not accept her Scottish £5 note!

dinigrow

Well I'm a bar-maid and would gladly accept Scottish notes in return for a refreshing beverage. However, if I am handed one, I do tend to inspect it, as it's a rare occurence that I see one. Plus, as there are a number of different designs from different banks, with different security features that I'm not aware of, they are understandably unfamiliar to me - Nobody wants to be responsible for accepting a forgery as a result of ignorance.

It's an interesting topic though... and I think I will do as someone said earlier from now on and make sure I give these notes back out to do my bit to spread the word about them being perfectly acceptable!!

tinbucket

As a shop keeper I don't take scottish notes. Oh and I can hear the hard done by cries from the North end of the British Isles as I write. Sorry, but there it is.
Why? Because when they become part of someone elses change, they don't accept them back. Yes, I know i can take them to the bank when i cash up, but it's just another pain in the backside having to separate them out each day.
But, more importantly - there are down here in london a lot of fake scottish notes. A Bank of England note is recognisable and many fakes easily spotted, a scottish note is less so and thus safer to not accept a bank of scotland note.

I'm all for a move to a single note system with quaint local emberlums on them like they do with the £1 and £2 coins. A rose, leak, thistle etc...

Come the day of the Euro, I'm sure the scottish will what their own version.

hogweed

Same problem with notes from good old Norn Irn – shopkeepers here are VERY reluctant to accept them, even when you point out where it clearly says “Sterling” on them. There was an excuse for this back in the old days before the Republic of Ireland succumbed to the ghastly Euro, when the Punt was worth considerably less than the Pound, and less intelligent people confused Eireann notes with Ulster ones...but no longer.

adouglasmhor

Personaly I have no bother at all in getting BoE notes before I go south or just using my card at a hole in the wall there. I even know which cash machines in Glasgow issue English notes so I can go and get them (Nat West just of Blythswood Square, Aliance and Leicester and Co-Op bank in Gordon St). Saves any hassle for me and shophkeeper bar staff etc.

Of course I could be Mclashlan from absolutely about it instead.

angiebruce

I'm Scottish and travel to Cyprus regularly. I take notes into the Bank of Cyprus to change into local currency - the bank teller separates the Scottish and English notes and gives me a different exchange rate for each - lower for the Scottish notes. When I complain they pick up the English notes and say 'these are sterling', then the Scottish notes, 'these are Scottish Pounds'. I have stood there and explained that both notes say sterling on them and are worth exaxtly the same, but they are having none of it. Their computer has both 'sterling' and 'Scottish Pounds' on it for them to complete the transaction. Its really frustrating.

markjonesuk

Colin_Kee wrote: »

OK so what about Isle Of Man coins.. if they are not part of the UK then how come I've used & been given as change, Isle Of Man coins in shops in N.Ireland. Apart from the "Stamp" on them they are Identical in size, colour & shape to any other UK coin. Am I comitting Fraud??

Actually they MIGHT look the same but they are not .. try putting a Manx coin in a mainland vending machine .. it'll go straight through.

manx coinage cant be used on the mainland. whilst on the island they'll take any money you offer them !

royburdett

I know you're talking about Scottish notes, But has anyone else tried getting rid of IOM £1 coins in wilko's, not a chance. I even rang their head office to complain, it's their policy, not interested with the fact that it is £1 STERLING, and i promise to pay the bearer etc, etc.