Discover the story behind the first five shilling note

You never know what’s going to spark the next big idea ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [View in browser]( The British Library For research, inspiration and enjoyment [What's on]( [Business]( [Research]( [Learning]( [Shop]( [Support us]( Dear {NAME}, Last month, over 300 years after the Bank of England’s first banknote was designed, paper £20 and £50 notes were withdrawn from circulation and replaced with polymer versions. The end of paper money might seem like a small change. But it’s times of change, both great and small, that are vital for us to document and understand so we can build on the progress of those who have come before us and start our own journeys of discovery. Together, we can give the stories behind our collection a change to ignite new ideas. We can help those imagining a different future take the first steps towards change. Britain’s first five shilling note Among the 170 million items we care for is the earliest five shilling treasury note. Dating back to World War I, this banknote was designed during a period of uncertainty when people were holding onto their gold coins. The transition to paper notes gave people a way to use their money without depleting gold supplies, changing the way that society handled money. Help us provide the spark for that lightbulb moment As a charity, we rely on your support to give the extraordinary items we care for, whether it’s Magna Carta or these early banknotes, the opportunity to inspire. We know that not everyone will be able to support us with a donation. But if you can, please consider [giving a gift of £20 today](. You could give students access to a world of ideas Your £20 could help us digitise more books for students and researchers, making more of our collection freely available to the minds that will shape the future. Thank you, {NAME} With your help we can take words beyond the pages of a book and transform them into living history. A history that everyone can access for research, inspiration and enjoyment. [Make a difference today]( Join the conversation [British Library Facebook]( [British Library Twitter]( [British Library Instagram]( [British Library YouTube]( © 2022 British Library. 96 Euston Road, London. NW1 2DB. [View our privacy policy](. [Contact us]( • [View Online]( • [Unsubscribe](