De la Rue celebrates 200th birthday
Hip hip hooray for banknote printer De La Rue. The biggest banknote printer of the world celebrated its 200th birthday yesterday. It was founded by Thomas de la Rue in Guernsey on 6 February 1813.
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. A contract which is still active today after 150 years. 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.
In recent years the Group has been involved in the design or production of over 150 national currencies and a wide range of security documents. In early 2011 De La Rue designed and printed currency for South Sudan, the world’s newest country, ahead of its independence later that year.
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