Will first trust northern ireland sterling be refused in the uk?
Actually it is quite difficult to spend Northern Irish banknotes in the rest of the UK (except western Scotland), simply because they are so rarely seen that people in shops don’t recognise them for what they are, and consequently have no idea how to check that they’re genuine – I’m 50 years old and have only EVER seen a Northern Irish note “in the flesh” twice in my life. Contrary to one of the other answers, they are not “legal tender” (not even in Northern Ireland – neither are Scottish banknotes, and Bank of England notes are not legal tender outside of England and Wales), and nobody can be forced to accept them against their will. The acceptance of the various banknotes in the UK is a matter of custom & practice – people will accept what they’re familiar with regardless of legal tender status. Larger shops and chains are likely to take NI notes, but small shops may well refuse them – in any case, you can exchange them for Bank of England notes at any bank or post office.
