Posts by Rachel
The new £20 note revealed!
The new design for the polymer £20 note has been officially revealed by the Bank of England and we can’t wait to start seeing it in our change next year!
The new £20 is coming on 20 February 2020.
— Bank of England (@bankofengland) October 10, 2019
Find out more: https://t.co/A23vZuf7Kg#TheNew20 pic.twitter.com/Lqyi0K2k4z
The design features JMW Turner, who was selected from the 29,701 nominations submitted by the public, making him the first British artist to feature on a UK banknote.
But what makes the new £20 note even more special is that is has been described by the Bank of England as the most secure note yet, with two windows and a two-colour foil which makes it difficult to counterfeit.
There are over 2 billion £20 notes in circulation, which makes the £20 note Britain’s most used (and also most forged) banknote.
Britain’s most secure banknote
Special features make the new polymer £20 note more secure, harder to forge and help it to stand out from other notes in circulation:
- Hologram – the word changes between ‘Twenty’ and ‘Pounds’ when tilted
- See-through windows – the foil on the front is blue and gold and the foil on the back is silver. There is also a second, smaller window in the bottom corner
- Raised dots – there are clusters of raised dots in the top left corner to help visually impaired people identify the note
- Ultra-violet number – under ultra-violet light the number ’20’ appears in red and green
- Purple foil patch – a round purple foil patch contains the letter ‘T’
- Historical character – JMW Turner’s self-portrait circa 1799 can also be seen on display in the Tate Britain
- Quote – “Light therefore is colour”
- The Queen’s portrait – printed on the back with “£20 Bank of England” printed twice around the edge
The Design
The bank note will feature Turner’s 1799 self-portrait – an image that currently hangs in the Tate Modern.
In addition, the note also features one of his most recognisable works, The Fighting Temeraire – a tribute to the ship which played a big part in Nelson’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
A final touch of Turner, the note also includes a quote from the artist, ‘light is therefore colour’ and the signature taken from his will.
Excitingly for collectors though, the new £20 note will be the first to feature the signature of Sarah John – the Bank’s new cashier. So keep an eye out for this when you get your first polymer £20 note!
When can we expect to start seeing the polymer £20 note?
The new £20 note is due to enter circulation on 20 February 2020.
Initially the note will be in circulation alongside the existing paper £20 notes, which will eventually be phased out as we have seen with the paper £5 and £10 notes in the past years.
We are also expecting the new £50 polymer bank note featuring mathematician and second world war codebreaker Alan Turing in 2021.
So, how excited are you about the new £20 polymer note? Let us know in the comments below!
f you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:
– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers
Sign up today at: www.changechecker.org/app
The Snowman returns! Second UK 50p to be released…
Last year’s incredibly popular Snowman 50p coin is set to be followed up by a brand new coin for 2019!
According to the Royal Proclamation, published on the 10th October, there will be a new coin to feature:
A figure of the Snowman and the boy from the book The Snowman by Raymond Briggs.
It’s expected the coin will be issued later this year with commemorative collector’s editions available in Brilliant Uncirculated, Silver and Gold being made available.
History of The Snowman coins
The UK’s first Snowman 50p was released in 2018 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Raymond Brigg’s much loved Christmas tale, The Snowman.
As the very first Christmas themed 50p to be released in the UK, this coin took the nation by storm and has become a firm favourite amongst collectors (myself included!).
But the 2018 Snowman 50p wasn’t actually the first coin to feature The Snowman… He’s also featured on a number 50p coins from the Isle of Man – now listed for as much £40 on eBay.
The next 50p collecting craze?
Although all the details have not been released yet and the actual designs are still top secret, it seems likely that the second Snowman 50p coin will be as popular with the British public as Peter Rabbit and friends have proved over the last three years.
Stay up to date with all the latest Snowman news…
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If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:
– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers
Sign up today at: www.changechecker.org/app
The journey of a 50p coin – from striking to your pocket
Have you ever considered how a 50p coin makes its way from The Royal Mint into your change?
As we approach the 50th anniversary of the 50p, it seems only fitting to take a look at the journey of the 50p coin – from striking to your pocket – and the many processes along the way, even before the coin leaves the factory.
Discover the 5 key steps in the journey below:
I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s fascinating to think, each time you find a 50p coin in your change, that coin has been through all of these steps its journey to your pocket.
Which 50p coins do you have in your collection and have you been able to complete the Definitive 50p Collecting Challenge? Let us know in the comments below.
Have you joined the Definitive 50p Collecting Challenge?
The race is on to find and collect the definitive 50ps in your change in time for the 50th anniversary of the 50p!