 The earliest notes were handwritten, and were issued as needed to individuals.These notes were written on one side only and bore the name of the payee, the date, and the signature of the issuing cashier.Between 1797 and 1821 the lack of bullion meant that banks would not exchange banknotes for gold, but after the end of the Napoleonic Wars the shortage was alleviated such that notes could be exchanged for an equivalent amount of gold when presented at the bank.