Is it illegal not to accept Scottish bank notes as payment in England?

Question

Scottish notes are all pound sterling and have same water marks and metal strips as English notes but different pictures

Answer 1

Scottish banknotes are NOT legal tender (see this note):

"All Scottish banks have the right to print their own notes. Three choose to do so: The Bank of Scotland (founded 1695), The Royal Bank of Scotland (founded 1727) and the Clydesdale Bank (owned by National Australia Bank). Only the Royal Bank prints pound notes. All the banks print 5,10,20 and 100 notes. Only the Bank of Scotland and Clydesdale Bank print 50 pound notes.

Scottish bank notes are not legal tender in Scotland. English bank notes of denomination less than 5UKP were legal tender in Scotland under Currency and Bank Notes Act 1954. Now, with the removal of BoE 1UKP notes, only coins constitute legal tender in Scotland. English bank notes are only legal tender in England, Wales, The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. In Scotland, 1 pound coins are legal tender to any amount, 20ps and 50ps are legal tender up to 10 pounds; 10p and 5ps to 5 pounds and 2p and 1p coins are legal tender to 20p (separately or in combination). 2 pounds coins and (if you can get hold of one) 5 pound coins are also legal tender to unlimited amounts, as are gold coins of the realm at face value (in Scotland at least).

Northern Irish notes are not legal tender anywhere, a situation similar to Scottish notes. Whether Scottish notes are legal tender or not does not change alter their inherent value but it dictates their legal function. Credit cards, cheques and debit cards are not legal tender either but it doesn't stop them being used as payment. Only a minuscule percentage of Scottish and British trading is carried out using legal tender. Just because something is not legal tender certainly doesn't imply it's illegal to use.

The lack of a true legal tender in Scotland does not cause a problem for Scots Law which is flexible enough to get round this apparent legal nonsense, as was demonstrated some time ago when one local authority tried to refuse a cash payment (in Scottish notes) on the grounds it wasn't "legal tender", but lost their case when the sheriff effectively said that they were obliged to accept anything which was commonly accepted as "money", and that should their insistence on "legal tender" have been supported, it would have resulted in the bill being paid entirely in coins, which would have been a nonsense; stopping short of saying that the council would have been "cutting off their nose to spite their face", but seeming to hint at it.

For tourists: You can spend Scottish notes in England and they are exactly equivalent to their English counterpart on a one for one commission free basis. If changing Sterling abroad, do not accept an inferior rate for changing Scottish notes than is being offered for English notes as the two are equivalent. You are very unlikely to encounter problems spending Scottish money in England, I did it for many years and was never refused.

The definition of legal tender is something which is acceptable as payment of a debt. If you pay using legal tender, the other person has no recourse to chase you for payment. As part of the Skye Road Bridge tolls protest, people have paid in small coins using the greatest number of small denomination coins which constituted legal tender. Using entirely 1ps for instance would not have been legal tender and could have been refused. (This definition is a simplification, see the Currency section of "Halsbury's Laws of England" for a full legal definition.) "

This doesn't mean that they are or should be refused as payment, merely that one may insist on English money as payment. Since there is a high rate of forgery of Scottish notes, some English traders are reluctant to accept them and have every right not to.

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Is it illegal not to accept Scottish bank notes as payment in England?
Scottish notes are all pound sterling and have same water marks and metal strips as English notes but different pictures

Answer 3

Scottish Notes In Circulation

Answer 4

While I'm aware that many places in England do not accept Scottish bank notes they are still Sterling and therefore legal tender. I think perhaps they are refused as most places tend to think they are forgeries, just like Scottish people here tend to think the notes (which feel like plastic) from Ireland are.

Answer 5

they shouldn't be refused, but as you say sometimes they are. This is really down to the discretion of the place you are purchasing from, or the person operating the till. Unfortunately, some places have it as their policy that only English bank notes are acceptable, using the 'excuse' that Scottish notes are harder to confirm that they're not counterfeit. However, it is down to the shop in question - remember that it is actually the shop's decision whether to accept any form of payment or not. I know a number of shops that decline to take English £50 notes, and it is entirely legal to do so even though it's legitimate English currency.

Answer 6

I had 50 pounds English note refused in a shop as the lady was not sure about it so I took it to the bank. It was fine but the shops have to be sure about it. So I guess if they can refuse even English notes they can do that with Scottish ones too, specially if they are not familliar with them.
Yes, thet should accept them, but I don't think is illegal if they don't, since people will try to protect their trade.
You can always walk into a bank and change them if you have a problem using them.

Answer 7

Clydesdale Bank Notes

Answer 8

as far as i know a retailer can refuse any bank note, i don't think they can give the reason that it is a scottish note for doing it though. for some reason loads of english people don't seem to know there is a bank of scotland and clydesdale bank notes are even worse! i had trouble when i was in hastings a couple of years ago visiting family. i filled my tank to drive home and when i tried to pay with bank of scotland £20.00 notes they refused them! the manager actually said they were forgeries because there was no bank of scotland, and he was keeping them so i would have to get money out of an atm. i had to threaten him with calling the police! they always seem to take them in the north of england, where they probably get more scottish tourists.

Answer 9

Yes it is legal to refuse Scottish Notes and Coins in England. There are some businesses who will refuse Notes and Coins minted in Jersey. I have been given them in my change from a major high street store, and when I have tried use to use them in the next they are refused as NOT legal tender.

Answer 10

No it isnt illegal to refuse to accept them. Alot of the shops where I am dont accept them because of the high amount of forgeries in the scottish notes.