1 Lake District Pound 2018

The Lake District Pound is a local complementary currency launched to encourage spending within the Lake District economy rather than leaching retail pounds into national chains. It is not legal tender and acceptance depends entirely on merchant participation — a network that has fluctuated considerably since the scheme's early years. Complementary currencies of this type in the UK have had a mixed record; the Bristol Pound, one of the better-known examples, ceased operations in 2021.

The hologram strip is notably ambitious security for a regional scrip note, reflecting lessons learned from earlier UK local currency schemes that suffered counterfeiting problems disproportionate to their face value.