[See BANK sb.3, and NOTE.] A promissory note given by a banker: formerly, one payable at a fixed date and to a specified person; now, one payable to bearer on demand, and intended to circulate as money.
(Their issue is now regulated by Act 7 & 8 Vict. cap. 32.)
1695. Lond. Gaz., No. 3046/4. A Bank Note for 17l. 2s. 4d. payable to Philip Wheake. Ibid. (1714), No. 5239/3. Lost … 10 Bank Circulation Notes … none of them payable for several Months. Ibid., No. 5271/4. Four Circular Bank Notes for 100l. each. all payable to Mr. Pope … or Bearer, with Interest.
1789. Wolcott (P. Pindar), Wks. (1812), II. 116. So prudent, numbers each bank-note and jewel.
1812. Examiner, 27 Sept., 622/2. What is a bank note but a promise to pay the bearer a certain quantity of gold?
1870. Bowen, Logic, ix. 274. Money may mean either specie, or bank-notes, or currency consisting of a mixture of these two.
fig. 1850. Carlyle, Latter-d. Pamph., v. 9. If speech is the banknote for an inward capital of culture.
