Who would you like to see on the new polymer £50 note?
This weekend, the Bank of England confirmed that the £50 note will remain part of UK currency and a new batch will be issued after the £20 note in 2020 following a public nomination process to select potential characters to appear on it.
In keeping with the new £5 and £10 polymer notes, the £50 will also be printed on thin, flexible plastic polymer material, making them cleaner, safer and stronger.
In September 2016, the first polymer £5 note featuring Winston Churchill entered circulation in the UK. Its success lead to the Jane Austen £10 polymer note being released the following year and plans for the first polymer £20 note featuring artist JMW Turner to be issued in 2020. It will be down to the public to decide who should appear on the new £50 notes, so who would you nominate?
£20 concept image. Credit: Bank of England.
The £50 note was first introduced in 1981 and there are now 330 million in circulation, totalling a combined value of £16.5 billion!
Recently there have been fears that £50 notes are being used for criminal activity such as tax evasion and are rarely used for standard purchases. However, the Treasury has said that this new batch of polymer notes has been designed to be more secure and harder to forge, meaning that they are here to stay.
2011 £50 note. Credit: Bank of England.
They will also be more durable and environmentally friendly than their predecessors, lasting roughly 2.5 times longer than paper notes.
Sarah John, the Bank’s Chief Cashier, said: “I’m very excited to be starting the process of introducing a new £50 note. At the Bank, we are committed to providing the public with high quality notes they can use with confidence. Moving the £50 note onto polymer is an important next step to ensure that we can continue to do that.”
What are your thoughts on the £50 note and who would you like to see feature on the next polymer batch? Let us know in the comments below!
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Frances Buss a pioneer of female education
In line with the 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War – Edith Cavell.
Dorothy Hodgkin a Nobel prize-winning chemist.
Alan Turing, mathematician and pioneering computer scientist.
I would like to see Freddie Mercury on our 50 pound notes.
Vera lynn the forces sweetheartRoy Walker
The Bank of England only puts people who have passed away of historical significance, so Vera Lynn is still alive!
Neil Breen or Cool Cat
Nelson on £50 note.
I think Freddie Mercury should be on it. It would have Queen from and back in that case.
Stephen hawkin.
Enlands Heros Such As The Duke Of Wellington , Nelson, Grace Darling,Etc
The Duke of Wellington has already featured on a £5 note from 1971 to 1991.
Freddie Mercury
Lord Nelson
Professor Stephen Hawking should appear on this note because of his great intellect and his sevices to science. Also how he overcame adversity to achieve what he did
A true national treasure that has influenced not only scientists, astrologoists, theologians, politicians, but to the everyday man and woman who can look up at the stars and achieve their dreams when they believe they are not obtainable.
Dr Hawkin please. He’s one of the most amazing British person to have lived. Shame he could not have lived to see it.
Hi there.
Regarding the new £50.
I would love to see someone like Stephen Hawking. The guy is so clever, and also an inspiration to less able bodied people now too. My second option would be L S Lowry, and third Albert Einstein.
My choice would be admiral Lord Nelson
Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee OM KBE FRS FREng FRSA FBCS (TBL).
To honour the gentleman who has laid the basis for the Internet as we know it.
The Bank of England only puts people who have passed away of historical significance, so Sir Tim Berners-Lee is still alive. It’s a nice idea, he may feature on a future banknote after he passes away.
Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
Have we ever had a living person on the back of a note? Can’t think of one off the top of my head, if not then perhaps a first, I would suggest Sir David Attenborough
Hi Anthium, a living person can’t actually feature on sterling banknotes, but if they could I agree that Sir David Attenborough would be a great choice!
The Bank of England only puts people who have passed away of historical significance, so Sir David Attenborough is still alive. A nice idea, he might feature on a banknote in the future after he passes away.
Vera lynn is the person I’d like to see on the new 20 pound note.
I Would like to see Princess Diana on the New Polymer Fifty Pound Note
Prince Phillip the Duke of Edinburgh. He has supported the Queen since 1952.
The Bank of England only puts people who have passed away of historical significance, so Prince Phillip the Duke of Edinburgh is still alive!
The person i would vote for is bertrix potter
I believe the person on the new £50 note should be Princess Diana.
I think Stephen Hawkin, or Rosalind Franklin should be featured on the £50.
Given some recent public votes, they will probably invent a new character called Notey McNoteface 🙂
The £50 note at the moment is not accepted by a lot of retail shops so why not have a £30 note, we the £5, £10, £20 notes so why not a £30 note.
Why no have a modern day person on the new note such as 5 times Olympic gold medal winner Sir Steven Redgrave.
That’s a very interesting idea!
The Bank of England only puts people who have passed away of historical significance, so Sir Steven Redgrave is still alive!
Isambard Kingdom Brunel would be my choice.
I haven’t seen a £50 note for years. They are not in general use as cash dispensers do not give them out and banks very rarely order them from cash centres. For larger transactions debit or credit card payments are safer and more convenient. I think they should be discontinued.
Many people seem to think the same Martin, although this new announcement suggests they won’t be going anywhere soon.
There should be a Union flag somewhere on it – even harder to fake then (and stick it in the eye to the Scots who want to break the union)
As it is 100 years since the ww1 i think it shud be a horses dog and pigin as a reminder that animals were there to
Lloyd George
Merlin lets have someone welsh for a change
Horatio Nelson should be on the £50 note
Winston Churchill or Margaret Thatcher
Winston Churchill is already on the current polymer £5 note!
Lady Diana Spencer
Ken Dodd or Vera Lynn or Laurie Cunningham
The Bank of England only puts people who have passed away of historical significance, so Vera Lynn is still alive!
Nelson.
Rosalind Franklin
Who cares? We never see one, haven’t uour heard we are skint bacause £39 billion is being given away in foreign aid whilst so many people in our country is living on the bread line, going to soup kitchens or just scraping through. Why not Micky Mouse or Scrooby door?
Admiral Lord Nelson
I would like to see Patrick more on the £50 note because he was an icon in astronomy and should be ackowledge for his part in the space race.
Love to see Emily Bronte on the new £50 note, a beautiful looking lady, and a great writer, every one knows Freshman’s Creek. Billm
Charles Dickens or Charlie Chaplin
Charles Dickens was already on the £10 note from 1992 to 2003.
Thomas Telford
Although I didn’t like them at first I have got used to the £5 and £10 notes.
I would nominate Stephen Hawking, as I feel his contributions to the world have been worthy of receiving this kind of honour.
Ada Lovelace
i think Matthew Boulton should go on the back of the £50.00 pound note after all he make some of the old coins or
stephenson or brunel should be given a chance.
Matthew Boulton is already on the current £50 note with James Watt!
Sir Ernest Shackleton
I nominate Sir Robert Peel, former prime minister, and founder of the modern police force, to be featured on the new £50 note.
Freddie Mercury, Queen on both sides.
The Beatles
ive had a £50 note and most shops wont take them
It’s true that they are rarely used in routine purchases and many shops will refuse to take them rather than risk a £50 loss. Yet it seems that with this new announcement £50 notes are still in demand and won’t be removed from circulation any time soon.