Exchanging Bank of England banknotes that have been withdrawn from circulation
Genuine Bank of England notes that have been withdrawn from circulation retain their face value for all time and can be exchanged at the Bank of England in London.
Notes of this type can be exchanged either by post or in person. If you are sending notes through the post it is recommended that a registered postal service is used. If you are intending to visit the Bank, please note the opening times below.
Damaged Bank of England notes are not exchanged by the Bank
of England in London; damaged notes are dealt with by the Bank’s
cash centre in Leeds. You will need to complete a form and send
this with the damaged notes to the Bank in Leeds.
More information, including a copy of the claim form and address
details, can be found in the ‘Damaged Notes’ section.
It is suggested that notes of this type are sent to the Bank in Leeds by a registered postal service.
The Bank of England is not responsible for the issue of coin. If you have coin to exchange please contact the Royal Mint helpdesk on 01443 222111.
Postal Exchange
Sending by post banknotes that have been withdrawn from circulation
Public Exchanges
Please complete a Public note exchanges form; this is to be sent with your note(s) .
If the total value is £1000 or more you will also need to send photocopy evidence of Identity Verification and Proof of address. If the value is for less than £1000 no identification is required.
Please note the acceptable forms of Identification below.
Key Resources
|
Public note exchanges form (317k) |
Business Exchanges
Please complete a Business note exchanges form, this is to be sent with your note(s) and letter on companies headed paper.
All postal applications for banknote exchanges from within the UK will be reimbursed by means of a BACS payment. All applications received from outside of the UK will be provided with a cheque in return for a banknote exchange. Please specify your name and account number clearly.
Please note that the Bank will not be responsible for any costs you may incur in acquiring value for any cheques it issues.
Please send your exchange form and note(s) to:
Note Exchanges
Counter Services
Banking Services Group
Bank of England
Threadneedle Street
London
EC2R 8AH
It is suggested that notes of this type are sent to the Bank in London by a registered postal service.
Key Resources
|
Business note exchanges form (240k) |
Counter Exchange
Bringing your banknotes that have been withdrawn from circulation to the Bank in person for exchange
If you wish to exchange your notes in person you will need to bring them to the Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, London. The nearest London Underground station is Bank on the Central and Northern Line; the Docklands Light Railway also serves Bank station.
Opening hours at the Bank in London are 9:30am until 3:00pm, Monday to Friday excluding Bank holidays.
Application forms to exchange notes are available at the Public Counter.
Public Exchanges
Please note that you will need to bring with you a form of Identity Verification and Proof of Address if the total value of the note exchange is £1000 or more. If the value is for less than £1000 no identification is required. You will be asked to complete an exchange form providing address information and details of where you got the notes from.
Please note the acceptable forms of Identification below.
If the value of your note exchange is £2,500 or more you will be issued with a receipt but the notes will not be exchanged the same day. The Bank will then send a payment by BACS for the appropriate amount usually within 10 working days.
Business Exchanges
Please note you will need to supply the following information when completing the business exchange form;
- Company Name
- Registered Number
- Registered Office in country of incorporation
- Business Address
If the value of your note exchange is £2,500 or more you will be issued with a receipt but the notes will not be exchanged the same day. The Bank will then send a payment by BACS for the appropriate amount usually within 10 working days.
Acceptable Identity Verification
- Valid Passport
- Valid Photo-Card Driving Licence (full or provisional)
- National Identity card (for non-UK nationals)
- Freedom Pass (travel pass for London residents over 60 or with eligible disability)
- Residence Permit
- Benefits Book/Letter from Benefits Agency
- Building Industry Sub-Contractors Certificate
- Inland Revenue Tax Notification
- Registered Disabled Badge/Certificate
- Firearms Certificate or Shotgun Licence
Acceptable Proof of Address
- Valid Photo-Card Driving Licence (full or provisional) if not used as name verification
- Electoral Register
- Utility Bill or Certificate from Supplier of Utilities
- Local Authority Tax Bill
- Bank, Building Society or Credit Union Statement/Passbook
- Most recent original Mortgage Statement
- Local Council Rent Card or Tenancy Agreement
- Benefits Book/Letter from Benefits Agency
DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998 - FAIR COLLECTION NOTICE
The Bank of England will process your information in accordance with current data protection legislation. The Bank of England may process your information for the purpose of the Bank’s business and associated activities, and may disclose your information to external third parties. Your information will not be processed for direct marketing purposes. You have the right to ask for a copy of information held about you in our records, for which you may be charged a small fee, and to require us to correct any inaccuracies, by writing to the Data Protection Officer, Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, London EC2R 8AH.
