A cheque issued in January 1997 which the holder failed to present for payment until September 1997 is called a

A cheque issued in January 1997 which the holder failed to present for payment until September 1997 is called a "stale cheque." A stale cheque is a cheque that is no longer valid or has expired because it has not been presented for payment within a certain time frame. The time frame for presenting a cheque for payment varies depending on the issuing bank and the laws of the country, but typically ranges from six months to a year. In this case, since the cheque was issued in January 1997 and not presented for payment until September 1997, it had become stale and could no longer be cashed. The holder of the cheque would need to contact the issuer to request a new cheque or payment in another form.