The Bank of England issued its first banknote in 1694, and since that date its constant concern has been to improve the quality of its notes and to combat forgers. This scholarly book, originally published in 1953 as the first on the subject, surveys the history of English banknote production. It will be of value to historians, economists and economic historians, but the reader without specialist knowledge will be equally interested in the history of an essential part of everyday life. The sixteen illustrations show some early note-printing machines and banknote designs over three centuries.