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PREFIX INFO
Treasury Notes
English Replacements
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Scottish Replacements +
Irish Replacements +
Isle of Man
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Jersey Replacements +
Million Serial Notes
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British banknote prefix information

INTRODUCTION

The Banknote Prefix Sightings Area of the British Notes website is a special area that we invite you to
participate.  With your valued help we can build an on-line catalogue of known banknote prefix sightings.

First Prefix, Last Prefix, Replacement Notes, Column Sorts, Error Banknotes, etc...

 
If at anytime whilst referring to these pages you wish to contribute with any updates
E Mail  pamwestbritnotes@aol.com  or Phone 0208 641 3224  if you have information
Scans please  200 or 300 jpeg

Please use ENGLISH PAPER MONEY, PAPER MONEY of IRELAND or PICK CATALOGUE numbers. 

  

Replacement Banknotes
        When the uncut sheets of notes 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 notes 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 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 note  A35 000001 to
A35 800000.  Column Sorts  A35 900001 to  A35 999999.

        

         Column Sort Banknote

Treasury Control Banknotes

       Control banknotes 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

 

More Prefix Sightings listings will be listed over the coming months, so be sure to check back.

 

 

 

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