Thursday 18 July 2013

Guernsey to commemorate Thomas De La Rue with £1 note

A limited edition £1 note is to be issued in Guernsey to commemorate entrepreneur Thomas De La Rue.

The 200th anniversary of the printer's first commercial venture will be marked on Thursday with the issue of 300,000 notes featuring his portrait.

De La Rue, then aged 20, launched the French language newspaper Le Miroir Politique in Guernsey in 1813.


In 1830, he founded the De La Rue Company in London, which printed money, stamps and playing cards.
The company is now based in Basingstoke and provides banknotes and security printing for several countries.
It reported revenues of £484m in the 12 months to 31 March.
The new note will feature the prefix TDLR and will be the first to show the signature of new States Treasurer Bethan Haines.
They will be circulated alongside the existing £1 notes, which feature former Bailiff Daniel De Lisle Brock.
In 1963, during the 150th anniversary, a bust of Thomas De La Rue was unveiled at the St Peter Port site where he founded his first business.
The site has been a pub, named after the entrepreneur, since 1971.