Until 1914 the only notes in circulation were value £5 or more, beyond the scope of most people. To save coinage it was decided to print notes which, if presented, would promise the bearer the equivalent in gold for the sum of 10s (50p) or £1. The Bank of England could not cope with the printing and so the Government took over the issue of these promissory notes. Hastily printed on stamp paper which was all that was available, these notes were subject to forgery but they kept the economy going during the First World War. In 1928 the Bank of England took over production of bank notes which we use to the present time, with some casualties along the way, such as 10s and £1. These early “Bradburys” can be worth several hundreds of pounds now.