The Royal Bank of Scotland £100 note is a
sterling banknote
A banknote—also called a bill (North American English), paper money, or simply a note—is a type of negotiable promissory note, made by a bank or other licensed authority, payable to the bearer on demand.
Banknotes were originally issued ...
. It is the largest denomination of banknote issued by
The Royal Bank of Scotland
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (RBS; gd, Banca Rìoghail na h-Alba) is a major retail and commercial bank in Scotland. It is one of the retail banking subsidiaries of NatWest Group, together with NatWest (in England and Wales) and Ulster Ba ...
. The current cotton note, first issued in 1987, bears an image of
Lord Ilay, one of the founders of the bank, on the obverse, and a vignette of
Balmoral Castle on the reverse.
History
The Royal Bank of Scotland
The Royal Bank of Scotland plc (RBS; gd, Banca Rìoghail na h-Alba) is a major retail and commercial bank in Scotland. It is one of the retail banking subsidiaries of NatWest Group, together with NatWest (in England and Wales) and Ulster Ba ...
began issuing £100 notes in 1727, the same year as the bank's founding. Early banknotes were monochrome, and printed on one side only. The issuing of banknotes by Scottish banks was regulated by the
Banknote (Scotland) Act 1845 until it was superseded by the
Banking Act 2009.
Though strictly not
legal tender
Legal tender is a form of money that courts of law are required to recognize as satisfactory payment for any monetary debt. Each jurisdiction determines what is legal tender, but essentially it is anything which when offered ("tendered") in ...
in Scotland, Scottish banknotes are nevertheless legal currency and are generally accepted throughout the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
. Scottish banknotes are fully backed such that holders have the same level of protection as those holding genuine
Bank of England notes.
The £100 note is currently the largest denomination of banknote issued by The Royal Bank of Scotland.
The current Ilay series of banknotes was first issued in 1987.
These banknotes feature a portrait of
Lord Ilay, first governor of the bank, on the front. Lord Ilay's image is also used as a watermark on the notes. Other design elements include the bank's coat of arms and logo, the facade of
Dundas House
Dundas House is a Neoclassical building in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located at 36 St Andrew Square, in the city's first New Town. The building was completed in 1774 as a private town house for Sir Lawrence Dundas by the architect Sir Will ...
, the bank's headquarters in Edinburgh, and a pattern representing the ceiling of the headquarters' banking hall. All of the Ilay series notes feature a castle on the back. On the reverse of the £100 note is an image of
Balmoral Castle.
Designs
Information taken from The Committee of Scottish Bankers website.
References
External links
The Committee of Scottish Bankers website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Bank of Scotland 100 note
Banknotes of Scotland
One-hundred-base-unit banknotes
Royal Bank of Scotland