First look at new £20 note being released in February

The new £20 banknote featuring acclaimed artist JMW Turner has been unveiled by the Bank of England.

The new polymer note, which will be issued for the first time on February 20 2020, contains sophisticated security features to thwart counterfeiters and has been hailed as ‘the most secure Bank of England banknote yet’.

At the launch of the note at Turner Contemporary in Margate, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said it would celebrate Turner and showed that ‘money can be a work of art in everyone’s pocket’.

It shows the English Romantic artist’s painting the Fighting Temeraire, which was voted the nation’s favourite painting in a 2005 poll by BBC Radio 4.

The piece was a tribute to the ship HMS Temeraire, which played a role in Nelson’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

The note also features the quote ‘Light is therefore colour’, taken from an 1818 lecture by Turner and the painter’s signature from his will.

Mr Carney said: ‘Turner’s legacy endures today through his influence on art for over two centuries, to the prize that bears his name to celebrate British contemporary art, to this magnificent gallery, the Turner Contemporary.

‘Soon Turner’s work will feature on another two billion works of art – the new £20 notes from the Bank of England.

‘Turner’s contribution to art extends well beyond his favourite stretch of shoreline.

‘Turner’s painting was transformative, his influence spanned lifetimes, and his legacy endures today.

‘The new £20 note celebrates Turner, his art and his legacy in all their radiant, colourful, evocative glory.’

The banknote will join the Sir Winston Churchill £5 note and the Jane Austen £10 note, and will be followed by the Alan Turing £50 note set to be released in 2021.

The existing £20 banknote is the most forged in circulation, making up around 88% of detected banknote forgeries in the first half of this year, according to statistics from the Bank of England.

However, the new one – which is the first to feature the signature of Sarah John, the Bank’s chief cashier – has two windows and a two-colour foil to stop fraudsters.

It will also contain a feature to help vision impaired people identify the denomination.

Ms John said: ‘The new £20 is an important part of our commitment to providing banknotes that people can use with confidence.

‘Our polymer notes are much harder to counterfeit and, with the £20 being our most common note, this marks a big step forward in our fight against counterfeiting.’

The old £20 note, which features the economist Adam Smith, can still be used for now.

The Bank has stated that notice will be given six months ahead of legal tender status of the paper £20 being withdrawn.

Further details about the new £20 note are available at www.thenew20.co.uk.