Bradbury 10 bob note

"At the outbreak of war in August 1914, one of the government’s first priorities was to withdraw gold from the economy so that it could be put towards the national war effort. In order to replace gold coins effectively, a large supply of notes had to be made available for values of £1 and 10 shillings (half a pound). The Bank of England could not prepare and print the required number of notes quickly enough, so the government took the unprecedented step of deciding to issue the notes itself. They would be called Treasury notes or, unofficially, 'Bradburys', after the signature they bore of Sir John Bradbury, permanent secretary to the Treasury. They would be legal tender, meaning that they had to be accepted when offered in payment of a debt; the creditor couldn’t hold out for gold. As Ireland at that time was part of the United Kingdom these notes also circulated in this country."