The new polymer £20 note is going to start appearing in ATMs and tills from today as it enters circulation.
It features the artist JMW Turner – who became renowned as one of the great masters of painting – and replaces the paper banknote that featured the economist Adam Smith.
According to the Bank of England, the new £20 is its most secure banknote yet, and boasts two see-through windows and a two-colour foil to help thwart counterfeiters.
There are more than two billion £20 notes currently in circulation, and the Bank of England says it will give six months’ notice before the paper banknotes are withdrawn.
Turner’s self-portrait, as featured on the new £20 note, is currently on display at Tate Britain alongside the banknote.
To bring the new note to life, the Bank has worked with Snapchat to develop a lens which allows the public to see their cash in a new dimension through augmented reality.
The new £20 note is the first to feature the signature of Sarah John, the Bank’s current Chief Cashier. She said: “Moving the £20 note to polymer marks a major step forward in our fight against counterfeiting. I am very grateful to everyone across the cash industry who has made this transition possible and I hope the public enjoy using their new Turner £20s.”
Read more via The Bank of England
