These images show both sides of a £5 note from the Tees Bank in Stockton. The ‘promissory note’ is dated 20th October 1825. The Tees Bank was established in 1785 although we have been unable to discover where it was.
Images courtesy of Mrs Wilson
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
The pennant on the sailing ship bears the motto “Decus et tutatem”. This phrase was first used in association with coinage when it appeared on the 5 guinea piece of Charles II’s reign. Today the same phrase, meaning “an ornament and a safeguard” can be found around the edges of some of our pound coins.