Guernsey 1 Pound (200th Anniversary of Thomas de la Rue’s First Commercial Venture)

Description

The pound is the official currency of Guernsey since 1921 when it replaced the French livre, and the country became part of the monetary union with the United Kingdom. The Guernsey pound is not a separate currency but a local issue of sterling-denominated notes and coins. The first pound notes were issued in 1924 with a denomination of 10 shillings. During the German occupation in 1941, notes were introduced in denominations of 6 pence, 1 shilling, 3 pence, 2 shillings, 6 pence and 5 shillings. After the liberation in 1945, the £5 notes were introduced, followed by £10 in 1975, £20 in 1980 and £50 in 1994. The official currency symbol: £/p (pre-decimal).

The 1 Jersey pound commemorative note front design features a main background scene of the old port of St Peter Port (Capital city), illustrating a street market, and the National Coat of Arms (Seal of Guernsey) within a coin surrounded by laurel branches. The reverse of the note presents the portrait of Thomas de la Rue (1793 – 1866), who was the founder of De La Rue plc, the printing company which is now the world’s largest commercial security printer and papermaker, on a background that illustrates the Fountain Street located in St. Peter Port and a newspaper (“Le Miroir Politique”). This note is part of the 2013 commemorative series “200th Anniversary of Thomas De La Rue’s first commercial venture”. Its color is dark green and black on a multicolor underprint.

Text: THE STATES OF GUERNSEY, PROMISE TO PAY THE BEARER ON DEMAND THE SUM OF ONE POUND, BY AUTHORITY OF THE STATES, STATES TREASURER, S ‘BALLIVIE INSVLE DEGERNERE VE, FOUNTAIN STREET, ST PETER PORT 1799, THOMAS DE LA RUE 1793 – 1866, LE MIROIR, POLITIQUES, 1£.