Turner painting unveiled on Britain’s new £20 note

The Bank of England unveiled Britain’s new £20 polymer banknote yesterday, featuring artist J. M. W. Turner and his most cherished masterpiece. The note includes Joseph Mallord William Turner’s self-portrait and his 1838 oil painting “The Fighting Temeraire”. It will enter general circulation on February 2, 2020.

“As the new Turner £20 testifies, money can be a work of art in everyone’s pocket,” Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said. The note was unveiled at the Turner Contemporary art gallery in the southeast English seaside resort of Margate. The £20 note ($24.50, 22.20 euro) accounts for more than half the banknotes in circulation. “Our banknotes celebrate the UK’s heritage, salute its culture, and testify to the achievements of its most notable individuals,” said Carney.

Turner was selected by Britain’s central bank following nominations from the public. The Bank of England issues £5, £10, £20 and £50 notes. The latest series is being printed for the first time on polymer rather than paper. They retain a regular layout, featuring a 1990 portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, and a historical figure on the reverse.

The new £5 and £10 notes have already been rolled out. The £5 note features World War II prime minister Winston Churchill and novelist Jane Austen appears on the £10 note. The bank claims the new £20 note is its most secure one yet. World War II code-breaker Alan Turing, a computer science pioneer, will appear on the new rarely-used £50 note, to enter circulation by the end of 2021.