6 ms·

Perhaps the continuing decline in the currency's value will give us an opportunity to see £50 notes more frequently. I don't think I've seen one more than twice

Perhaps the continuing decline in the currency's value will give us an opportunity to see £50 notes more frequently. I don't think I've seen one more than twice in the past 12 years, and I get cash out less and less frequently.

lavezzi 7y ago
It's because £50 notes have always been associated with fraud and money laundering, which has negative connotations for both users and merchants.
- jsty 7y ago
  Paying for something with £50 notes is a nerve-racking experience rivalled only by attempting to attempting to spend Scottish notes in England (I usually chicken out and just deposit them all at a bank)
  - pidg 7y ago
    Top tip - if you find yourself with a Scottish note in England, use it in a self-checkout machine.
  - dhruvrrp 7y ago
    I had a lot of trouble spending leftover Jersey pounds when i reached London. People didn’t even recognize the bills! I think a McDonalds ended up accepting them.
  - gerdesj 7y ago
    Its nowhere near as bad as it was back in the '70s or so when some places devalued the other countries' Sterling by 10% before accepting it or flatly refused it. I've spend several eg Bank of Clydsdale £20 notes in pubs in southern England. I've also spent a fair bit of English Sterling up (proper) north with no problems. It doesn't help that there are five or so different banks in Scotland issuing notes with different designs, so to spot a dud you need to really know your stuff.
Zenbit_UX 7y ago
You might be living in a bubble, fifty quid is much less than $100 and I see those notes all the time. Getting currency exchanged before a trip? They give huge bills. Buying a used phone or furniture from Craigslist? Are you going to pay with 100 twenties? New ATMs even ask you the breakdown of bill sizes you are want.
- lozenge 7y ago
  The bubble in this case encapsulates the entire UK but thanks for your perspective from a different country.
- oliveshell 7y ago
  Are you just speculating, or do you live in the UK? From what I’ve heard, £50 notes are used more rarely than $100 bills are here in the US.
  - robk 7y ago
    I'd say it's about the same. With 10+ years in each country I see both about as frequently. Maybe 50 quid more often since atms give them out but can't recall a non casino USA atm ever doing hundreds
    - beatgammit 7y ago
      > can't recall a non casino USA atm ever doing hundreds I've gotten them before when pulling out a few hundred dollars, but since most ATMs have a limit between $400-800, I guess it makes more sense to just stock them with small bills. I've gotten them before, but if I need more than $100 or so, I'll go into the branch so I can get exactly the denominations I want (e.g. I wanted $100s when I bought my car or for gifts, but I want $1s, $5s, and $10s for baby sitters and tips).
  - sweeneyrod 7y ago
    I assume speculating, based on "bills", "ATM" and possibly "Craigslist".
  - 7y ago
gambiting 7y ago
Tbf this is just this thing about the British society. I've lived here for 9 years and people are just not used to £50 notes, in several places I've had them refused(and I wasn't paying a £2 bill with a £50 note either, more like a £300 piece of jewelry and the shop just had a blank policy against accepting £50 notes, I've had this happen at petrol stations, at big stores, at small stores, people just don't like them). Where I'm from(Poland) high denomination banknotes are pretty common and no one seems to mind, I wouldn't have any qualms about paying for a 10PLN(~£2) item with a 200PLN(~£40) note, and I'm 100% certain that the seller wouldn't have any issue either. Meanwhile in the UK I was told by friends that if you're paying for £1 coffee with a £20 banknote you must be some kind of an inconsiderate dick. It's really weird to me.
esotericn 7y ago
Yeah, it's really strange. 50 quid now is worth substantially less than 20 quid was when I was younger and 20's weren't weird then. It just has this weird stigma. ATMs don't dispense them. I used to carry one around for emergencies, and people would comment on it (ooh, look at this flash prick, etc).

lavezzi 7y ago

It's because £50 notes have always been associated with fraud and money laundering, which has negative connotations for both users and merchants.

jsty 7y ago
Paying for something with £50 notes is a nerve-racking experience rivalled only by attempting to attempting to spend Scottish notes in England (I usually chicken out and just deposit them all at a bank)
- pidg 7y ago
  Top tip - if you find yourself with a Scottish note in England, use it in a self-checkout machine.
- dhruvrrp 7y ago
  I had a lot of trouble spending leftover Jersey pounds when i reached London. People didn’t even recognize the bills! I think a McDonalds ended up accepting them.
- gerdesj 7y ago
  Its nowhere near as bad as it was back in the '70s or so when some places devalued the other countries' Sterling by 10% before accepting it or flatly refused it. I've spend several eg Bank of Clydsdale £20 notes in pubs in southern England. I've also spent a fair bit of English Sterling up (proper) north with no problems. It doesn't help that there are five or so different banks in Scotland issuing notes with different designs, so to spot a dud you need to really know your stuff.

Zenbit_UX 7y ago

You might be living in a bubble, fifty quid is much less than $100 and I see those notes all the time. Getting currency exchanged before a trip? They give huge bills. Buying a used phone or furniture from Craigslist? Are you going to pay with 100 twenties? New ATMs even ask you the breakdown of bill sizes you are want.

lozenge 7y ago
The bubble in this case encapsulates the entire UK but thanks for your perspective from a different country.
oliveshell 7y ago
Are you just speculating, or do you live in the UK? From what I’ve heard, £50 notes are used more rarely than $100 bills are here in the US.
- robk 7y ago
  I'd say it's about the same. With 10+ years in each country I see both about as frequently. Maybe 50 quid more often since atms give them out but can't recall a non casino USA atm ever doing hundreds
  - beatgammit 7y ago
    > can't recall a non casino USA atm ever doing hundreds I've gotten them before when pulling out a few hundred dollars, but since most ATMs have a limit between $400-800, I guess it makes more sense to just stock them with small bills. I've gotten them before, but if I need more than $100 or so, I'll go into the branch so I can get exactly the denominations I want (e.g. I wanted $100s when I bought my car or for gifts, but I want $1s, $5s, and $10s for baby sitters and tips).
- sweeneyrod 7y ago
  I assume speculating, based on "bills", "ATM" and possibly "Craigslist".
- 7y ago

gambiting 7y ago

Tbf this is just this thing about the British society. I've lived here for 9 years and people are just not used to £50 notes, in several places I've had them refused(and I wasn't paying a £2 bill with a £50 note either, more like a £300 piece of jewelry and the shop just had a blank policy against accepting £50 notes, I've had this happen at petrol stations, at big stores, at small stores, people just don't like them). Where I'm from(Poland) high denomination banknotes are pretty common and no one seems to mind, I wouldn't have any qualms about paying for a 10PLN(~£2) item with a 200PLN(~£40) note, and I'm 100% certain that the seller wouldn't have any issue either. Meanwhile in the UK I was told by friends that if you're paying for £1 coffee with a £20 banknote you must be some kind of an inconsiderate dick. It's really weird to me.

esotericn 7y ago

Yeah, it's really strange. 50 quid now is worth substantially less than 20 quid was when I was younger and 20's weren't weird then. It just has this weird stigma. ATMs don't dispense them. I used to carry one around for emergencies, and people would comment on it (ooh, look at this flash prick, etc).