Explanations of Terms Used
The Banknote explanations on this page refer to types of banknotes that can be found
Replacement Banknotes
When the uncut sheets of banknotes are being checked, faulty sheets are removed. To maintain the numeracy of the stack these are replaced with perfect sheet of notes. These replacement sheets are numbered separately, usually with an M prefix (LL prefix in modern times), in earlier years the prefix A, S--S, T--D, etc, were used. The top left corner note of the first normal sheet would be numbered eg., BC42 000001, the second note would be BC43 000001, etc., the sheet below would be numbered BC42 000002, the second note being BC43 000002, so when a stack of 100 sheets is guillotined, each bundle of 100 banknotes is numbered down the bundle 1 to 100. If a sheet has been removed, it would have been replaced with an M or LL prefix sheet, thus maintaining the numeracy of the stack.
Z Replacement £10 banknote from Jersey
Column Sort Banknotes
De la Rue, the Bank of England printers, like everyone else, is trying to save money. So, when part faulty sheets are removed from the stack, they are set aside. The errors on the sheets would have been marked with a yellow / orange phosphorescent pen. The sheets would then be guillotined into columns, the good columns sorted out for individual guillotining and numbering. Hence the prefix / serials on column sorts are usually in a higher range. i.e., regular banknote A35 000001 to A35 800000. Column Sorts A35 900001 to A35 999999.
Column Sort banknote HL40 the last
Treasury Control Notes
Control Notes are found at the bottom right hand corner of the sheet and were probably used for accounting purposes, though, this has yet to be confirmed. They always carry the prefix Z The rest of the sheet being a regular prefix.
Bradbury Control Note Z/1
Break Number / Split Prefix
Break Numbers / Split Prefixes occur when there is a signature change in the middle of a prefix. i.e. signature 'A' up to GE 500000 signature 'B' after GE 500001.
1999 Grant / Mathewson AB prefix to serial 400000
2003 Mitchell AB prefix from serial 400001
Specimen Banknotes
Specimens were sent out to world banks and Institutions to show them the newly designed banknotes, mainly red overprints. Also for internal use, mainly black overprints after B332s.
B377s £50 Specimen Kentfield with black cameo overprint
B393s £5 Specimen Lowther with red solid overprint
Cancelled Banknotes
Some issued Treasury notes were used for internal purposes, overprinted CANCELLED.
T8c Cancelled Treasury note