Nelson & His World

I thought members might be amused by this ridiculous item I bought on ebay.

It is the reverse side of an experimental £5 note, with an image of Nelson, which was never put into circulation. The Duke of Wellington had his portrait on a banknote so I don't know why Nelson was overlooked.

The note bears a portrait of Nelson, his signature (as 'Rear Admiral') and the famous signal:


The note is printed on Portals paper which the Bank of England uses for 'real' notes.

Portal is a very old company. My Nelson letter carries a watermark 'Portal 1797'.

£5 for a fiver that isn't legal tender....barmy, or what?

Anna,

You, barmy? Perish the thought.

I'm rather intrigued however as to where they found that picture of Nelson. Are they sure it's even him, as I don't think I've seen that one before?

I was always sorry that Nelson never seemed to get a look in whenever bank notes were issued - its almost as if the Bank of England find him an embarrassment! I seem to remember (I don't use them that often, nowadays) that Wellington was on the fiver, Florence Nightingale was on the tenner and I think it was Christopher Wren on the fifty? (I never saw many of those.) I can't remember who was on the old one pound note, but he didn't even make the lowest denomination!

Not a bit like him, is it? Perhaps that's why they abandoned the idea.

Here's a list of all those who have appeared on Bank of England notes in recent years.

http://www.listology.com/content_show.c ... cellaneous

I think Nelson is as great a figure in his way as most of the others are in theirs.

Kester:

more portraits of Nelson, familiar and unfamiliar - some even less 'like' him than the one on the note!


http://www.storiesnow.com/portraitsnelson