Some may love Tai Chi, Feng Shui, Hill Walking, Art, Cruises on ships, Climbing K2, my attachment to St Johnstone goes back over 60 years to the days of youth. I remember standing on the terracing at the old Muirton Park, cheering on the Saints as they trounced Rangers, Celtic and Dundee!! (the defeats are… Read more »

This is a lovely wrapper from 1822 – addressed to the Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh. There is a mileage mark (578) and various cancellations which mark the route….via North Berwick and Haddington. The North Berwick mark with SO (Sub Office) in an oval is quite rare. It is worth £25 and was bought at… Read more »

Born in Perth, Scotland, I was brought as a ‘Saintee’, a supporter of St Johnstone. Muirton Park saw glory days as well as grim times and the near disappearance of the Boys in Blue. We have been in the Scottish Premier League for several years and I remember  when we won the Scottish Cup for… Read more »

A Uniform Penny Post did not last for too long and nowadays, postage charges vary so much. Ebay alone will offer dozens of options. I offer free GB postage but the cost varies, with extra ‘insurance’ being paid to cover high value items. Overseas post, sent by Special Delivery (Track and Trace) seem secure but… Read more »

Recently, I attended the East Midland IBNS Chapter Meeting. Besides sharing information, news, and seeing other banknote areas of interest I was pleased to buy the Two Volume edition of ‘Paper Money of Scotland’.(2018) What a wonderful guide to Scottish banknotes and banking history. Not only is there a fantastic guide to pricing of modern… Read more »

I have been with my bank for over 30 years and have a good rapport with the staff behind the counter. IWhen I go in I always ask if they have any AA01, AA** prefixes on the £10 and £5 polymers. I always pick up notes in this way. The polymer collection of AA01s and… Read more »

I spoke to a well-known dealer this week. I was told Premier League footballers are entering hte banknote market to buy notes in order to increase their portfoloio!!! ‘Portfolio’ is a word few of us would ever think of using in banknote collecting. We all look for something special and each of us has different… Read more »

A British £5 note has undergone lots of changes over the years. Nowadays, we are all familiar with the polymer £5 that fits easily into the wallet, purse and pocket.I think many people are taken by suprise when they see a white fiver (£5 note). White £5 notes were legal tender till 1961. Nowadays, a… Read more »

Some banknotes are washed to imrove their grading. Most sellers avoid this practice but sometimes you can buy a washed note as the seller is not aware what has happened. Washed banknotes are a bit like thicker paper and have a very different ‘feel’. Some sellers can be unscrupulous so it is important to ask… Read more »

Errors are things we want to eradicate in our working lives but in the case of B ritish and World banknotes, errors are very collectible items indeed. Banknote errors are found in paper, print and numbers. There are some spectacular paper errors with ‘fishtails’ and folds. Some banknotes have dry runs with faded images or… Read more »