Faux Fivers

[Pattree]

I’ve just had a five pound note rejected by a charity shop. I’m on holiday in Norfolk.
They did a check and said it was “dodgy”. Apparently there are so many forgeries in circulation that some shops and pubs won’t take them.

I’ll take it into a bank when I’m home next week and let them check. It feels like the right texture and looks OK to me.

I just wondered whether others knew; I certainly didn’t but then I use my phone to pay most of the time.

 

[Toddy]

We've to change our notes to come south. Scottish bank notes are often refused, or at least scrutinised beyond courtesy and reason. The folks from Northern Ireland say the same thing.

 

[Ystranc]

We've to change our notes to come south. Scottish bank notes are often refused, or at least scrutinised beyond courtesy and reason. The folks from Northern Ireland say the same thing.

I’m of the opinion that I’ll accept anybody’s money. You’re right though, the level of distrust can be quite offensive.

 

[Stew]

We've to change our notes to come south. Scottish bank notes are often refused, or at least scrutinised beyond courtesy and reason. The folks from Northern Ireland say the same thing.

I think you’ll find that’s legal tender….

 

[Toddy]

It is legal tender, but try it in an southern English supermarket, or reenactor's fayre....or pub local thereof.

It's easier to run around making sure we have English notes

 

[Broch]

Legal tender only refers to paying debt not as currency - however, Scottish notes are legal currency. Any trader has the right to refuse any currency they wish unfortunately.

 

[Kadushu]

I had Scottish note which was rejected by a shop so rather than keep trying to spend it I paid it into the bank.

 

[slowworm]

Having worked on various checkouts in my time in England you don't get any Scottish note training and hardly ever see a Scottish note so it seems reasonable to not accept them. After all, it's hard enough to tell if a common fiver is real or fake. Even BoE 50s were treated with suspicion.

I've not seen a placky fake yet, I have a few fivers torn in half and taped together - probably done by a muppet who thought you can't tear a modern note.

 

[Toddy]

We can well understand the individual who has to say that they can't accept the notes. It's not their fault, it's their training and the lack of acceptance that our money is every bit as valid in payment as an English banknote is.

Just the way it goes. We make sure before we cross the border that we've changed enough notes to suit though.

 

[Kepis]

I did a show a while back at the Weald & Downland in Sussex, a gentleman wanted to buy a couple of spoons off of me but said he only had Scottish Bank notes with him and that other people at the show had refused him, i gladly took his money lol, seriously i knew it was as much legal tender down here as an English fiver would be in Glasgow or Belfast, i suppose the travelling i did for work before i became self employed also helped as i was dealing with different currencies on a weekly basis and had educated myself, i would have taken US Dollars if that was all they had too, as i would have used them when i went to see family stateside and it really is not that difficult to work out the exchange rate.

 

[Pattree]

I’d like to know what the checks for forgeries are. I know that some of them are supposed to be secret.

I wonder how many I’ve inadvertently passed on.

One of the advantages of phone payments.

 

[JonathanD]

There was a massive influx of forged Scottish notes in England a few months back. Even the banks were refusing them until they had trained up the staff. The fakers did well down here due to the relative unfamiliarity with them. It’s seems to have been cleared up now though and it’s business as usual. But it may have left a residual skittishness with people in accepting them.