Turner on the twenty
EXPATRIATE readers may well come across the new £20 note next time they return to the UK after they entered circulation last week. Said to be the most forgery proof yet, the note is made of polymer making them significantly longer lasting than the old paper versions. They also incorporate two windows and a two-colour foil, making good forgeries almost impossible to create according to the Bank of England.
The note has a picture of famous landscape artist JMW Turner and B of E Governor Mark Carney (a Canadian) said “Our banknotes celebrate the UK’s extraordinarily rich and diverse heritage and highlight the contributions of its greatest citizens. Turner’s art was transformative. I am delighted that the work of arguably the single most influential British artist of all time will now appear on another 2 billion works of art – the new £20 notes that people can start using today”. If you are holding on to any of the old notes (with the image of economist Adam Smith) don’t panic. The Bank of England are obliged to give at least six months’ notice before withdrawing legal tender from circulation and have no immediate plans to do this.
