One-pound Note [counterfeit] (Aberdeen)
Date02-Jul-1810
Object NameBanknote
Mediumpaper
ClassificationsBanknotes
DimensionsOverall: Height: 12.8 cm, Width: 12.4 cm
AcquisitionPurchased in 1981 with assistance from the National Fund for Acquisitions.
LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub
Object numberABDMS015960
About MeIn most respects this is an accurate copy of the type of Banking Company in Aberdeen one-pound note issued in 1810 [image 27]. Its principal defect is in the depiction of the leopards supporting the shield on the Aberdeen coat of arms.The simplicity of early banknote design meant that notes were easy to counterfeit. As can be seen from the example illustrated even small banks did not escape the attention of the forger.
In the 18th and early 19th centuries counterfeiters were helped by the fact that the majority of people in Britain were illiterate and therefore unable to detect inaccuracies in a form of money in which words were an important element.
