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1 Pound Sterling 1931, Kingdom of Great Britain

in Banknotes Book Number: SC903b
Years of issue: 05.12.1931
Edition:
Signatures: Cashier: Mr. A.S.O Dandie, General Manager: Mr. J. A. Brown
Serie: Scotland
Specimen of: 02.06.1924
Material: Cotton fiber
Size (mm): 150 x 85
Printer: Waterlow and Sons Limited, London

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1 Pound Sterling 1931

Description

Watermark:

Avers:

1 Pound Sterling 1931

On the top is the bank's coat of arms. In such variation existed till 1947.

Shield in the center, definitely, bears the coats of arms of cities of Aberdeen and Glasgow, where they were created constituent banks. On the left, presumably, the lady is the personification of trade, and the lady on the right - the industry.

William III

In bottom left corner is the statue of King William III.

William III & II (Willem III, 4 November 1650 - 8 March 1702) was a sovereign Prince of Orange of the House of Orange-Nassau by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange (Dutch: Willem III van Oranje) over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Gelderland, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland; it is a coincidence that his regnal number (III) was the same for both Orange and England. As King of Scotland, he is known as William II. He is informally known by sections of the population in Northern Ireland and Scotland as "King Billy". In what became known as the "Glorious Revolution", on 5 November 1688 William invaded England in an action that ultimately deposed King James II & VII and won him the crowns of England, Scotland and Ireland. In the British Isles, William ruled jointly with his wife, Mary II, until her death on 28 December 1694. The period of their joint reign is often referred to as "William and Mary".

On the west side of Cathedral Square Gardens, in Glasgow, is an equestrian statue of King William III, curiously dressed in Roman attire. It is the city's oldest sculpture. Intriguingly, the horse`s tail is said to be designed to move in the wind by means of a ball and socket joint. In front of the plinth is a plaque declaring In commemoration of the Tercentenery of the Glorious Revolution of 1688-1689. This refers to the removal of the Catholic King James II of Britain (VII of Scotland) and his replacement by the Protestant Queen Mary and Prince William of Orange. English and Latin inscriptions extol the many virtues of "King Billy" and reflect the very partisan attitudes of the subscribers to this monument, which was erected in 1735. (The Glasgow Guide)

Charles II

In bottom right corner is the statue of Charles II.

Charles II (29 May 1630 - 6 February 1685) was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

Edinburgh's oldest statue and possibly the oldest equestrian statue in the United Kingdom. It depicts Charles II as Caesar and was completed in the year of his death, 1685. It is believed to have been made in Holland and may be from the workshop of the Dutch sculptor, Grinling Gibbons. It has been restored on several occasions, the last time in 1984. The fact that it is made of lead has given conservators an ongoing headache, as by the 1980s the weight bearing down on the unsupported front leg was causing it to buckle and the statue to lean visibly to one side. Now, in 2010, an endoscopic survey to assess water intake and retention has found deterioration of the internal wood and steel framework to the point of causing further stress. A further restoration is now planned once a fund, estimated at £100,000, has been raised. The original intention of raising a statue to Cromwell on this spot, abandoned at the Restoration, would, with hindsight, have been the cheaper option. (Geograph)

Denominations in numerals are in all corners. In words centered.

Revers:

1 Pound Sterling 1931

Blue bar with denomination in the center, around the inscription: The Union bank of Scotland Limited.

Comments:

The bank was absorbed by the Bank of Scotland in 1955.