Proving a banknote is as good as gold

You've got some damaged, ripped or chewed banknotes. So, what do you need to prove to get the money reimbursed? Here's a basic guide:

Assessors look for evidence of various features of a banknote. The first is the identical serial number found here...

...and here. The Bank of England team want to see both numbers to prove that there are not two claims for one banknote.

The Bank of England's mutilated note service receives around 35,000 individual applications each year, and goes through them on a case-by-case basis.

The assessment team in Leeds also looks for the promissory clause - "I promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of..."

And they also look for Chief Cashier Andrew Bailey's signature.

Scottish, Northern Irish, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or any foreign notes will need to be sent to the appropriate issuing authority, but the same basic rules apply.

You'll generally need to fill in a form, and successful applicants will get a cheque returned in the post.

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