BANK NOTE PRINTER DE LA RUE CELEBRATES ITS BICENTENNIAL

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V16 2013 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 16, Number 6, February 10, 2013, Article 21

The article was published Wednesday in the Basingstoke Gazette, located in south central England. It discusses the history of banknote printer De La Rue, which celebrated its 200th birthday. -Editor

THE world's leading bank note maker De La Rue is celebrating its 200 th birthday today.

Now De La Rue is headquartered in Basingstoke and is the trusted partner of governments, central banks, issuing authorities and commercial organisations operating in over 150 countries across the world.

De La Rue’s chief executive officer Tim Cobbold said: “For any company to reach its 200 th anniversary is a significant achievement and we are particularly grateful to all the customers that have supported us over the past 200 years.

“De La Rue has a long history of innovation and as a part of continuing this rich tradition I was delighted that in December we launched the first De La Rue polymer banknote for Fiji, which is due to go into circulation in March.”

This latest innovation is one of many that the that the company has produced over the past 200 years.

Back in 1831 it registered the ace of spades playing card produced using a revolutionary new typographical process ensuring uniformity in card manufacturing.

It was subsequently granted a royal patent by William IV to print playing cards that had previously been produced by hand using stencils.

In 1840 De La Rue produced its first adhesive postage stamp and in 1846 registered its patent for the first envelope folding machine.

De La Rue secured its first contract to print banknotes with the Bank of Mauritius in 1860 for the Mauritius 10 shilling, £1 and £5 notes.

This was the start of a longstanding partnership with the Bank of Mauritius which is still going strong 150 years later.

In 1914, De La Rue was commissioned to produce the £1 and one shilling notes for the Bank of England – the start of another important collaboration with the Bank that continues today.

However, De La Rue’s subsidiary, Portals Limited, first produced currency paper for the Bank of England in 1724.

By 1947 the group was operating in over 60 countries worldwide and was listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Numismatists are familiar with Canada's playing card money. But here's a banknote firm that got its start printing playing cards. Interesting - I didn't know that!

For bibliophiles, I should note that there was a history of De La Rue published in its 150th anniversary in 1963: The World of De La Rue. The Old World and the New presented on the occasion of the One Hundred and Fiftieth Anniversary of The House of De la Rue 1813-1963. Will there be a new edition for their 200th? -Editor

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