Jersey pound facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jersey pound
Obverse of a £5 banknote Reverse of a £5 banknote
ISO 4217 Code	none
User(s)	Jersey (alongside pound sterling)
Inflation	5.3%
Source	The World Factbook, 2004
Pegged with	pound sterling at par
Subunit
1⁄100	penny
Symbol	£
penny	p
Plural
penny	pence
Coins
Freq. used	1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £2
Banknotes
Freq. used	£1, £5, £10, £20, £50
Rarely used	£100

The Jersey pound (sign: £) is the money used on the island of Jersey. Jersey is part of a "currency union" with the United Kingdom. This means the Jersey pound is not a completely separate currency.

Instead, it's like special banknotes and coins made by the States of Jersey. These are worth the same as the regular British pound. It's similar to how Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own banknotes. You can swap Jersey pounds for other British money easily.

The official international code for money, ISO 4217, doesn't have a special code for the Jersey pound. But sometimes, people use "JEP" to show it's different from the British pound.

In Jersey, you can use both Jersey notes and notes from the Bank of England. They are both accepted as official money. You might also see money from Guernsey and Scottish banknotes there.

Jersey notes are not official money in the United Kingdom. This is different from Scottish and Northern Irish banknotes. However, many shops in the UK will still accept Jersey notes, though it might sometimes be a bit tricky.

History of Jersey's Money

A page from a ready reckoner published in 1854 showing how to convert between Jersey money and other currencies used back then.

Before 1834, Jersey used a currency called the Jersey livre. These were French coins. In the early 1800s, 26 livres were worth 1 British pound.

After France stopped using the livre in 1795, Jersey had fewer coins. This made trading and paying for things difficult. So, in 1834, a special rule was made. The British pound became Jersey's only official money.

However, French copper coins were still used alongside British silver coins. 26 French "sous" were equal to one British "shilling." Because "sous" were still common for small change, new copper coins were made for Jersey in 1841. A Jersey penny was worth 1/13th of a shilling, which was the same as 2 sous. This system lasted until 1877. Then, a new penny was introduced, worth 1/12th of a shilling.

Like the rest of the British Isles, Jersey changed to a decimal system in 1971. This meant money was based on units of 100 (like 100 pence in a pound). They started making a full set of coins from 1/2p to 50p. Later, £1 and £2 coins were also made.

In December 2005, there was about £64.7 million of Jersey money being used.

Coins of Jersey

Coin History

An 1851 States of Jersey 1/13th shilling coin.

The special square £1 coin from 1981.

In 1834, the British pound became Jersey's official money. But French copper coins were still used. In 1841, new copper coins were made for Jersey. These included coins worth 1/52, 1/26, and 1/13 of a shilling.

In 1877, the system changed to 12 pence in a shilling. New bronze coins were made. Between 1949 and 1952, one million special "Liberation pennies" were made for Jersey. These celebrated the end of the German occupation of the Channel Islands.

In 1957, a 3 pence coin was introduced. It was round at first, then became 12-sided in 1964.

When decimalisation happened in 1971, new coins were made. These included 1/2p, 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, and 50p coins. They were the same size and made of the same materials as British coins. The 1/2 penny coin was last made in 1981.

20 pence coins were introduced in 1982, and £2 coins in 1998.

The £1 Coin

A unique square £1 coin was made in 1981. This was to celebrate 200 years since the Battle of Jersey. However, vending machines couldn't accept the square coin, so it was only made in 1981.

When the United Kingdom started using a standard round £1 coin in 1983, Jersey also switched to a round £1 coin. Each year, new £1 coins in Jersey had different designs. These often showed the coats of arms of Jersey's 12 parishes. Later, they featured sailing ships built on the island. The edge of the Jersey £1 coin had the Latin phrase Caesarea Insula, meaning "island of Jersey."

Jersey £1 coins stopped being official money on 15 October 2017. This was when the UK also stopped using its old round £1 coin. Now, the UK's new 12-sided £1 coin is the only £1 coin that is official money in Jersey.

Current Coin Designs

The back of Jersey coins show different landmarks:

• 1p: Le Hocq Tower (a coastal defence tower)
• 2p: L'Hermitage, where St. Helier lived
• 5p: Seymour Tower (an offshore defence tower)
• 10p: La Pouquelaye de Faldouet (an ancient stone monument called a dolmen)
• 20p: La Corbière Lighthouse
• 50p: Grosnez Castle (old castle ruins)

Banknotes of Jersey

In 1797, the first bank in Jersey opened and started printing £1 notes. Because there weren't enough coins, many people and companies printed their own low-value notes. In 1813, a rule was made that notes had to be worth at least £1.

Until 1831, many different groups and people in Jersey printed their own banknotes. Even the parishes of Jersey printed notes. These local notes were often used to pay for public projects. They stopped being printed after the 1890s.

During the German occupation of the Channel Islands in World War II, there was a shortage of coins. So, in 1941, Jersey started printing its own notes again. A series of 2 shilling notes were issued. Later, more notes were designed by Edmund Blampied. These notes came in values of 6 pence, 1, 2, and 10 shillings, and 1 pound. The 6 pence note was special: Blampied designed the word "six" on the back so that when folded, it made a "V" for victory sign. This was a secret message of resistance.

After the war ended in May 1945, Jersey stopped printing its own notes for a while.

1963 Banknote Series

New notes were issued starting in 1963. They featured a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. When the 10-pound note was issued in 1971, it used the same picture that was on the back of the old 10-shilling note. This was because the 10-shilling note had been replaced by a coin.

1976 Banknote Series

A new set of notes came out on 5 August 1976. These notes had a new picture of Queen Elizabeth II. The back of the notes showed historic images of Jersey. The front also had pictures of Jersey plants. The notes were made smaller, like other international banknotes. £20 notes were introduced in 1976.

1989 Banknote Series

£50 notes were introduced in 1989. The notes from this series show Queen Elizabeth II on the front. The back shows different famous places or events from Jersey's history. The watermark (a hidden image you see when holding the note to light) is a Jersey cow. Even though a £1 coin was made, the £1 note continued to be used.

Special Commemorative Banknotes

Jersey has made two special £1 banknotes. In 1995, a note was issued to celebrate 50 years since Jersey's Liberation. This note had a special serial number starting with "LJ" (for Liberation of Jersey). It also had a map of Jersey printed in special ink. The back of this note was different from the usual £1 note. It showed the £1 note that was used during the German occupation of the Channel Islands.

In 2004, another special £1 note was released. This note celebrated 800 years since Jersey separated from the Duchy of Normandy. Its design included Mont Orgueil castle and other historical symbols. Its serial number started with "J8C" (for Jersey 800).

On 1 June 2012, a £100 note was issued. This was to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. The front of this note showed a portrait of The Queen. The back showed the Royal Mace of Jersey and the Flag of Jersey.

2010 Banknote Series

A new set of Jersey banknotes was released on 29 April 2010. These notes are special because they have text in three languages: English, French, and Jèrriais (the local language of Jersey). On 1 June 2012, a £100 note was also issued in this series to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

The front of the notes (from £1 to £50) shows a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Next to her is a picture of an important Jersey landmark. On these notes, the Queen wears the Vladimir Tiara instead of a crown. This is to show her title in Jersey, which is Duke of Normandy.

The back of each note shows one of Jersey's many old coastal defence towers. These towers were built in the late 1700s. There are also other pictures of Jersey's culture or scenery. You can also see images of the twelve parish crests. The value of the note is written in French and Jèrriais. The Jersey cow watermark is still there. There are also security features, like a see-through map of Jersey. On the £10, £20, and £50 notes, there's a special hologram. It shows the coat of arms of Jersey and the Island of Jersey.

See also

• Economy of Jersey
• Sterling banknotes
• French livre
• Alderney pound
• Guernsey pound
• Manx pound