In message , Robin May
writes
My girlfriend's cousin visited from America last year and I was pretty
surprised to find on the day he arrived and I tried to use his money to
buy a tube ticket for him that he'd been issued an old style £20 note.
Are banks and bureau de changes allowed to do this? And do they do it
in the UK as well as in America?

I deal with a *lot* of overseas visitors to the UK and look after
(rather fewer) UK visitors to foreign parts.

The issuing of out of date notes by UK banks to people going overseas is
very rare (but has happened). The issuing of out of date UK notes by
US banks to Americans visit the UK is *very* common indeed.
--
Ian Jelf, MITG, Birmingham, UK
Registered "Blue Badge" Tourist Guide for
London & the Heart of England
http://www.bluebadge.demon.co.uk