Travel Essentials Coins Banknotes and Currency

Coins, Banknotes & Currency

One of our worst currency experiences was when much of Europe switched to the Euro in 1999 and all that rich history of the individual countries and their outward facing cultural identities* was erased, along with the colourful and charismatic currencies which represented not only monetary value but the nations “spirit” such as the French Francs, with beautifully illustrated historic characters, or the teutonic order of the German Mark, the Austrian Schilling, or the Italian Lira, and what would travel to Spain have been without a fistful of Pesetas?

*They obviously still have their cultural identities, just not the banknotes that portrayed it. Some of the coins have some national identity, but it is not the same.

You see that bank notes and coins are more than just monetary value, they represent the nations ethos, an outward projection of how they wish to be seen, such as industrial achievements, science or agriculture, Beautiful animal and bird illustrations, and some are just quiet frankly miniature works of art in their own right.

We still love the thrill of crossing boarders and the subsequent (legal) currency exchange. Part of the excitement of travel is the new and unusual and changing up money, trying to figure out how much each notes is worth is part of the fun.

We also love the fact that some countries still call their currency (and its value) by its old name for example in Iran they commonly use the term Toman, although the “Toman" is no longer an official unit of Iranian currency. Iranians commonly express amounts of money and prices of goods in Tomans, rather than in Rials, the official note value. This can catch you out if you are not careful. 1 Toman is 10 Rials.

In the UK we also used to the same, and 10/- d or ten shillings (the equivalent of 50p), was called a ten bob note. A shilling being a bob. A sixpence was a tanner, and three pence - thrup’ence or a thrupenny bit. The Americans still use their currency slang with nickels and dimes. Regional ‘Modern” currency slang also exists, in the form of modern “Cockney rhyming slang” - a device once used so market traders could talk without the Police or non enlightened public understanding them. In modern slang a £5 or five pound note, or “fiver” for short. In cockney rhyming slang this becomes a Lady Godiva (Rhymns with fiver). Ayrton Senna = tenner, or £10. Older Cockney rhyming slang used Gorilla for £1000 (or often just shortened to a Grand), a ton for a hundred, a monkey was £500 and a Pony £25.

A conversation to buy an old car might go something along the lines of; “I’ll give you a pony for your old motor mate.” (meaning I’ll give you £25) - laughing - “A pony with a monkey on its back and we might be talking” (meaning I want £525)- “Your having a bubble mate, more like a ton, tops” (£100 counter offer and saying you are not being serious. Bubble = laugh).

UK Bank Notes - English, Irish, Welsh, Scottish

Wales

We have an unusual set of Welsh banknotes from the 1970’s featuring various Welsh castles including Cardiff, Conway and Cardiff, with sheep and bull motives. They come in denominations of 5/- (about 25p) and 10/- (50p) £1, £5, £10. They are signed by the treasurer. They are fairly crudely printed on heavy paper, with the obverse featuring the number and a scroll decoration. This is an uncirculated set canceled by the bank in December 1970. Wales does not normally issue its own currency.

Northern Ireland (Ulster)

Issued by the Ulster Bank Ltd in the form of £ sterling, they are legal tender. In modern “plastic” form they are beautifully designed and the £5 features a family on the beach with a little girl running after them, and on the £10 note a plow horse and the patchwork ‘quilt” effect of the British and Irish farming landscape, a throwback to strip farming and land being divided between families. They are notable for their bright colours and flower depictions. A Hare and a Canada goose also make a cameo appearance. We also have a Bank of Ireland £5 Stirling issued in Belfast, featuring the Bushmills distillery.

Ireland (Southern Ireland Eire)

We have Punts, the former currency before Ireland adopted the euro, featuring characters from Irelands past including the £10 note with James Joyce, Irish novelist and poet and the £5 note featuring Catherine Mc.Auley who founded the Sisters of Mercy. The reverse side features the Mise Raifteirí a File by Antoine Ó Raifteirí. This note series also produced a £100 note. They are series C notes from the late 1990s. (1993). They were issued by the central Bank of Ireland.

Scotland

Scotland has had a number of issuing authorities including the Clydesdale bank, Bank of Scotland, The Royal Bank of Scotland and we have representative notes from all three banks. Castle, Stately Homes, Industrial scenes, famous Scottish representatives feature heavily on their notes, and amongst our collection a notable absence of wildlife, which considering Scotland is one of the last true wilderness areas of Britain is surprising. Our collection is common £1, and £5 notes from the 1980’s to 2017. The £5 Bank of Scotland notes features the 15th century bridge, Brig o’Doon, (Bridge over the River Doon), as well as being the setting for one of Rabbie Burn’s most famous works - "Tam o' Shanter".

Some Notes and Coins from the extensive Museum of Travel collection.

Some of our favourite and most beautiful are from the Maldives, Senegal, Papua New Guinea, Egypt, and Ecuador. Several countries have abandoned their own currency and now use US dollars or even Crypto Currencies, such as El Salvador.