|
1916 |
Premium Bonds first proposed at a National Savings committee meeting. They were rejected by Chancellor Reginald McKenna |
|
17 April 1956 |
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Harold Macmillan MP announces his intention to introduce Premium Bonds. |
|
1 November 1956 |
Premium Bonds launched. Bonds become eligible after held for six months. Top prize £1,000. Maximum holding £500. Based in Lytham St. Annes. |
|
1 June 1957 |
First Prize Draw - ERNIE started by Paymaster General, Ernest Marples in Lytham St. Annes. |
|
1957 |
Maximum holding raised to £800 |
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1958 |
Miss Premium Bonds competition introduced
10 million holders reached |
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1 August 1960 |
Top prize £5,000 |
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December 1961 |
1 millionth prize awarded |
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21 April 1964 |
Maximum holding raised to £1,000 |
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1 February 1966 |
Top prize £25,000 |
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14 April 1967 |
Maximum holding raised to £1,250 |
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1 October 1969 |
National Savings splits from the Post Office to become a government department in its own right. |
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1 April 1971 |
Maximum holding raised to £2,000 |
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1 August 1971
|
Introduction of a single monthly top prize of £50,000. |
|
1972 |
20 million holders reached |
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5 February 1972
|
£1 Premium Bond withdrawn from sale. Minimum purchase £2 |
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February 1973 |
ERNIE 2 introduced |
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July 1973 |
PB total investments reach £1 billion |
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July 1974 |
Top prize £75,000 |
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June 1975 |
Prizes hit 100,000 per month mark |
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2 June 1976 |
Introduction of Premium Bond Holders Numbers to make it easier for customers to check their holdings. |
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1 November 1976 |
Top monthly prize raised to £100,000. Minimum purchase £5. |
|
1978 |
Premium Bonds move to Marton, Blackpool for Lytham St. Annes |
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21 April 1980 |
Maximum holding now £10,000. |
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1 July 1980 |
New monthly prize of £250,000. |
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8 July 1985 |
Minimum purchase raised to £10 |
|
c1987 |
Last Miss Premium Bonds competition |
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October 1988 |
ERNIE 3 introduced. |
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1 July 1989 |
Minimum purchase level for savers over 16 raised to £100. Multiple purchases to be in amounts of £10. |
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1 February 1993
|
Minimum purchase £100 for all savers introduced |
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13 April 1993 |
Maximum holding increased to £20,000
|
|
1 April 1994
|
New monthly jackpot prize of £1 million.
Weekly prizes ceased |
|
March 1995 |
PB total investments reach £5 billion
Premium Bonds no longer on sale in banks and building societies. |
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1 May 1995 |
Introduction of facility for all automatic reinvestment of prizes |
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October 1995 |
50 millionth prize awarded |
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Feb 1998 |
Prizes reach 500,000 per month mark |
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March 1998 |
PB total investments reach £10 billion |
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2 August 1998
|
Premium Bond prize-checker introduced on NS&I’s website to help Bond holders trace unclaimed prizes. Premium Bonds forms can now be downloaded |
|
April 2001 |
Prizes reach 750,000 per month mark |
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February 2002 |
National Savings changes to National Savings and Investments (NS&I) |
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9 September 2002 |
Website (www.nsandi.com) allows Bond holders to check for prizes won in last six months |
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March 2003 |
100 millionth prize awarded |
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12 May 2003 |
Maximum investment raised to £30,000. Record sales of £1.1 bn in May 2003 achieved
PB total investment reaches £20 billion |
|
April 2004 |
ERNIE 4 used for the first time. Launched to the public at Science Museum on 17 August 2004, alongside three previous ERNIE machines. |
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July 2004 |
Premium Bonds available by telephone on 0500 007 007 |
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September 2004 |
Prizes reach one million per month mark
PB total investment reached £25 billion |
|
October 2004 |
Premium Bonds can be bought by Standing Order for existing customers. Minimum purchase is £50 after initial purchase of £100 |
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January 2005 |
Premium Bonds can be bought on NS&I website
All monthly prizes published on website |
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August 2005 |
Additional jackpot prize of £1 million introduced |
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January 2006 |
PB total investment reaches £30 billion |
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March 2006 |
Prizes reach 1.25 million per month mark |
|
1st November 2006 |
50th year since launch |
| 1st December 2006 |
Special draw with five £1 million jackpots. |
|
1st June 2007 |
50th anniversary of first draw, special draw with five £1 million jackpots. |
