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| £50 Guernsey fifty pounds, Queen Elizabeth II |
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| Guernsey £50 pound note |
Currency of Guernsey 50 Pounds banknote of 1994, issued by the
States Treasurer of The States of Guernsey
Guernsey pound, Guernsey banknotes, Guernsey paper money, Guernsey bank notes.Obverse: Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and The Royal Court House.
Reverse: St Andrew's Church, stone carving (La Gran' Mere du Chimquiere), Point de la Moye and a Letter of Marque.
Watermark: Queen Elizabeth II.
Printer: Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited, London England.
Guernsey banknotes - Guernsey paper money
1994-2009 "Queen Elizabeth II" Issue
- Gran' Mere du Chimquiere or Grand Mother of the Cemetery - is the statue of a woman who stands at the entrance to St Martin's Church yard a Pagan 'Earth Mother' figure.
- Letter of Marque from the King gave seamen a legitimate claim on the bounty from enemy ships.
In the days of fighting sail, a Letter of Marque and Reprisal was a government license authorizing a person (known as a privateer) to attack and capture enemy vessels and bring them before admiralty courts for condemnation and sale. Cruising for prizes with a Letter of Marque was considered an honorable calling combining patriotism and profit, in contrast to unlicensed piracy, which was universally reviled. Throughout the wars with France, and the American War of Independence, Guernsey captains used their knowledge of the rocks and reefs to disrupt coastal trade from Nantes, Bordeaux and La Rochelle. Goods destined for the Americas would often end up on sale in St Peter Port. The practice brought great wealth to the island but the last act of privateering took place in 1815 when the war with France ended. Trade was the main activity in St Peter Port in peace and war and privateering was central to the success of St Peter Port as an entrepot.