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The New Plastic £20 Note Is Being Released Today

The New Plastic £20 Note Is Being Released Today

Some of the notes will be rare and could be worth a lot more than 20 quid...

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

The Bank of England will be releasing the brand new plastic £20 note into general circulation - and some could be worth a lot more than the value they represent.

Just like what happened with the £5 and £10 notes, people will be clambering to get their mitts on the ones with early serial numbers.

The brand new note.
PA

According to The Mirror, the notes with the very lowest serial numbers are given to the Queen, while the Bank of England will then auction some of the rare ones with the money going to charity.

But the Bank of England has told the publication that not all of them are being reserved (or else we'd have none), with a batch of rare AA serial number notes entering general circulation too. Everybody at once: "OOOOOOOOOH."

If you find one (or more) of these little gems, you will soon realise that they're worth much more than the £20 that is stamped on them. That's what we saw when the £5 and £10 notes were released, so we don't anticipate this being any different.

First look at the £20 note.
PA

Back when the £10 note was issued on 14 September 2017, collectors flocked for one particular serial number. That was AH 1775 - the year author Jane Austen was born. She features on the back of the note, btw.

This £20 note was first mentioned back in April of 2016 when Romantic painter JMW Turner was announced as the face of it. The year he was born was 1775 so keep your eyes peeled, folks.

If you manage to find a serial number JT 1775 1851, we reckon you've hit the big bucks because that would relate to the painter's initials, followed by his year of birth and year of death.

The note features a hologram.
PA

What the note can make you isn't the only interesting thing - I mean, it is, but we might as well tell you about the other features.

First there will be a hologram which changes between the words 'Twenty' and 'Pounds'. There will also be an ultra-violet element so when you position the note underneath a UV light the number '20' appears in bright green and red.

Also, on the front of the note (the side with the raised print) there are three clusters of raised dots in the top left hand corner. This tactile feature helps blind and partially sighted people identify the value of the note.

The notes will also feature one of Turner's most famous paintings - 'The Fighting Temeraire'. This was a tribute to the ship HMS Temeraire, which played a distinguished role in Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

There will also be a quote from Turner which reads: "Light is therefore colour," which comes from a lecture he gave in 1818 and refers to his innovative use of light, shade, colour and tone.

So, there we have it. Happy £20 note day.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Bank of England, News, UK