hi I bought this very interesting piece from Mike Vessel's recent auction - there is very little information online about it. It's also odd it's in Latin, as I have old exchequer receipts from 1670s in English - but I see the Bank only stopped using it officially in 1971! Can anyone cast any light on this conscienc
e money?
Hi, @jonathan Paul, I took the liberty to move your post to a more appropriate Topic (expert insights), I hope you will soon have an answer to your question 😀
Fascinating piece, Jonathan. Thanks for sharing. I’ve read a bit about the Bank of England’s Conscience Fund, and it has a curious history. From what I understand, the practice dates back to the 19th century, where people who had defrauded the government or evaded taxes would anonymously return the money, often with interest, as a moral gesture.
The Latin is particularly interesting. It may have been retained for ceremonial or legal reasons, especially for official internal acknowledgments. I’ve also seen a few “Ex Dono” inscriptions on similar documents, which might suggest the money was voluntarily offered rather than collected.
Would be great to know if yours has any signatures or seals on the reverse. Those details might help narrow down its date or purpose.
Really nice find.
