British £20 White Banknote Issued 1759

British pound banknotes were issued in early handwritten and engraved formats by the Bank of England, including this £20 White Banknote issued in 1725. This note forms part of the earliest withdrawn series of British banknotes and dates from the period when Bank of England notes were individually prepared rather than mass-printed. High-value denominations such as £20 were primarily used for banking, trade and large financial transactions.

This £20 paper banknote is printed in black ink on cream paper and is printed on one side only, with the reverse left blank. At the top centre is an ornate engraved heading reading “Bank of England”, executed in elaborate calligraphic script. To the upper left sits an engraved decorative cartouche containing a classical female figure, representing Britannia, which served as an early security and identity feature.

The main body of the note consists of flowing engraved and handwritten text stating the formal promise to pay the bearer the sum of Twenty Pounds on demand. The serial number appears handwritten near the upper section, with the place and date of issue clearly shown as London, 6 February 1838, indicating later validation or reissue markings applied to the note during its circulation life.

At the lower left is an engraved ornamental scroll panel prominently displaying the denomination “Twenty” in stylised lettering. The lower right contains the handwritten authorising signature made on behalf of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England. Additional ink marks and annotations are present, typical of early Bank of England White Notes, reflecting manual verification and accounting practices.

The reverse of this £20 White Banknote is unprinted, consistent with early eighteenth-century Bank of England production methods. Security relied on paper quality, engraved elements, handwritten serial numbers and authorised signatures rather than a printed reverse design.

• Indicate the quantity of £20 banknotes you want to exchange

• Click the ‘Add to your account’ button

• Your online account now shows the exchange value

If you have additional notes and coins you wish to exchange, please follow the steps above. Once you are finished, head over to checkout to complete the transaction.

Please note that for rarer banknotes such as this, processing will take longer than 5 days as additional authenticity checks are required. Where only partial banknotes are available, all such notes are reviewed on receipt before we confirm acceptance for exchange.

For all high-value transactions, we will require valid identification in order to comply with Anti-Money Laundering Regulations (AMLR).

If you are looking to exchange old British banknotes, we provide a fast, secure and trusted UK service for exchanging withdrawn Bank of England notes, including rare White Banknotes from the eighteenth century. Many banks no longer accept early manuscript currency, but we specialise in exchanging discontinued British banknotes and paying you directly into your UK bank account.

Whether you hold a single historic £20 White Banknote or a collection of withdrawn British banknotes, our simple online system makes it easy to exchange your old currency safely and efficiently.