Currency difference on the British Isles

[MELSMOM47]

Can't find the thread but is this correct?

Pound Sterling in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

The Euro in Ireland.

[gumshoe958]

Yes, correct.

[Harters]

Correct.  Pound for all parts of the UK. Euro for Ireland.

 

Bear in mind that Scottish bank notes may not be accepted elsewhere in the UK, particularly in smaller outlets.

[Scottishclover]

All retailers are legally required to accept Scottish notes ( or those from Northern Ireland).I once had problems spending an Ulster Bank Note in Scotland. Just point out the word “Sterling” on the note. Used to be worse when there wereScottish £1 notes but they went out of circulation ages ago. Most people use cards now so not as much an issue as it used to be. 

[Cotswold Eagle]

3 hours ago, Scottishclover said:

All retailers are legally required to accept Scottish notes ( or those from Northern Ireland).

This is simply not true, I'm afraid. Any retailer can decide what methods of payment it chooses to accept (and indeed some are now not dealing with any form of cash at all).

[fruitmachine]

Very occasionally - though much less than in the past, and really only with higher-value notes - a retailer in England or Wales will refuse Scottish notes.  I've not experienced this in the last 20+ years, but there are still reports of it happening.

 

Of slightly more concern is if you ever want to change Scottish notes into another currency.  Nobody outside of the UK will recognise them.  The answer is to change any Scottish notes you may not spend to Bank of England notes while still in the UK.  Any high street bank will do this freely.

[VMax1700]

49 minutes ago, fruitmachine said:

Very occasionally - though much less than in the past, and really only with higher-value notes - a retailer in England or Wales will refuse Scottish notes. 

Similar with Bank Of Ireland sterling notes! 😭  Trader: "oi mate, these are euro notes".  Me:  er, they are not euro, they are sterling. Trader: "Nah mate, Ireland is euro....I'm not stupid"  🤔

Me:  will you take a credit card? 😟

[John Bull]

5 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

Similar with Bank Of Ireland sterling notes! 😭  Trader: "oi mate, these are euro notes".  Me:  er, they are not euro, they are sterling. Trader: "Nah mate, Ireland is euro....I'm not stupid"  🤔

Me:  will you take a credit card? 😟

 

Hi Max,

 

I was going to mention the occasional difficulty in using Scottish and Northern Ireland notes (yes they're  pounds, value 1 to 1 with English pounds) outside of those countries, especially with a "Saturday part-timer" on the till iin England.

But I double-checked and according to Mr Google's contributors some - or all - N Ireland notes are no longer in circulation or legal since last year (can be changed for Bank of England notes free of charge at banks).

So I decided to keep out of it and wait for an Irishman or Ulsterman to chip in.

Feel free, my Irish friend 🙂

 

JB 🙂

[VMax1700]

2 hours ago, John Bull said:

N Ireland notes are no longer in circulation or legal since last year (can be changed for Bank of England notes free of charge at banks).

So I decided to keep out of it and wait for an Irishman or Ulsterman to chip in.

My understanding is that Bank of Ireland UK PLC, Ulster Bank, and Danske Bank still have sterling notes in circulation and legal.  First Trust Bank did not issue polymer notes so their paper notes ceased to be legal currency last year.

It is certainly confusing that the official currency of Ireland is the euro, but Bank of Ireland does not issue euro notes but issues Sterling notes. 

Now if we want to discuss Irish, English and Scottish Groats.......🤣🤣

[markeb]

Unless the OP is getting well away from an area tourists normally visit (and maybe not even then) isn't the best answer "contactless credit card or ApplePay/Google Pay"? 

 

I actually have to look at the pound notes I have left over from my last trip and makes sure they're not obsolete! I'd hate to have to track down a bank to trade them this summer! I almost never touched them...

[Harters]

40 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

Now if we want to discuss Irish, English and Scottish Groats..

I have a number of "Pieces of Eight". Does anyone know the current Euro/PoE exchange rate. TIA.

[wowzz]

4 hours ago, markeb said:

I actually have to look at the pound notes 

I'm hoping you mean £5 or £10 notes, not £1 notes !

[markeb]

16 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I'm hoping you mean £5 or £10 notes, not £1 notes !

Shorthand. I think they’re £20 notes. 

[John Bull]

4 hours ago, Harters said:

I have a number of "Pieces of Eight". Does anyone know the current Euro/PoE exchange rate. TIA.

 

Pieces of 8 are of little value unless you have the full set.

 3, 6, 9 and 0 are almost worthless without the missing pieces.

 

You're welcome

 

JB 🙂

[Harters]

10 hours ago, John Bull said:

Pieces of 8 are of little value unless you have the full set.

Shame. I knew I should have changed them for doubloons when I had the chance. I think they do well against the Kazak tenge of late.

[Host Hattie]

11 hours ago, markeb said:

Shorthand. I think they’re £20 notes. 

How long have you had them ? New notes were introduced in February 2020.

[Globaliser]

17 hours ago, markeb said:

I actually have to look at the pound notes I have left over from my last trip and makes sure they're not obsolete! I'd hate to have to track down a bank to trade them this summer! I almost never touched them...

 

1 hour ago, Host Hattie said:

12 hours ago, markeb said:

I think they’re £20 notes. 

 

How long have you had them ? New notes were introduced in February 2020.

 

I think that the easiest check for Bank of England notes is to see whether they're plastic. If they're plastic, they're current. If they're paper, they're obsolete.

 

The designs of current notes are shown here: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/current-banknotes.

 

Obsolete notes are shown here: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/withdrawn-banknotes.

 

Instructions for exchanging old notes for new are here: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/exchanging-old-banknotes and https://www.postoffice.co.uk/banknote-exchange. A bank may also be prepared to do this.

[markeb]

3 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

 

I think that the easiest check for Bank of England notes is to see whether they're plastic. If they're plastic, they're current. If they're paper, they're obsolete.

 

The designs of current notes are shown here: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/current-banknotes.

 

Obsolete notes are shown here: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/withdrawn-banknotes.

 

Instructions for exchanging old notes for new are here: https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/exchanging-old-banknotes and https://www.postoffice.co.uk/banknote-exchange. A bank may also be prepared to do this.

Mine are the old ones. Last time I was in London was the holidays in 2019 into early 2020. It’s only £60, but I’ll see what I can do. 

[mskaufman]

Does Guernsey also have their own notes?

[Cotswold Eagle]

7 hours ago, mskaufman said:

Does Guernsey also have their own notes?

Yes. They are denominated in pounds Sterling and other Sterling notes (such as Bank of England) are very readily accepted in Guernsey. Acceptance of Guernsey notes outside Guernsey and Jersey is likely to be even more problematic than the issues with Scottish and Northern Ireland notes discussed above.  

[John Bull]

9 hours ago, mskaufman said:

Does Guernsey also have their own notes?

 

Yes. And not accepted elsewhere in the UK. 

Shops & other outlets in the Channel Isles are aware of this and generally avoid giving Guernsey notes to visitors, but do check.

 

They also have their own coins. Again not accepted elsewhere - except in machines and dimly-lit pubs. 😏

 

JB 🙂

[Guernseycruiser]

When purchasing any item with cash, just ask for the change in "English".

[mskaufman]

15 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

Yes. And not accepted elsewhere in the UK. 

Shops & other outlets in the Channel Isles are aware of this and generally avoid giving Guernsey notes to visitors, but do check.

 

They also have their own coins. Again not accepted elsewhere - except in machines and dimly-lit pubs. 😏

 

JB 🙂

Sounds like a good souvenir. 

[pink845]

So just to confirm British pounds can be used in London, Cornwall, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Invergordon, Belfast while Euros for Dublin, Cobh and LeHavre.  If we buy something in Scotland and we get back Scottish pounds (is there such a currency), can it be used in London?

[Cotswold Eagle]

1 hour ago, pink845 said:

If we buy something in Scotland and we get back Scottish pounds (is there such a currency), can it be used in London?

Same currency, but Scottish banks issue their own notes. See discussion up thread about the difficulty spending those in England occasionally.