Banknote 20 Great British Pound - King Charles III (20 pound / 20 GBP) Circulated
The £20 British polymer banknote featuring King Charles III was introduced into circulation by the Bank of England on 2 October 2023. It was the third polymer banknote in the series, following the introduction of the £5 and £10 notes, and continued the modernization of the UK currency by increasing its durability and strengthening anti-counterfeiting safeguards.
Important! Banknote condition: circulated. Image for illustrative purposes.
Obverse of the banknote: The front side of the banknote features a portrait of King Charles III. This portrait is a standard element of all British banknotes, symbolizing the continuity and tradition of the monarchy. Around the portrait are the inscription "Bank of England" and the denomination "£20".
Reverse of the banknote: The back of the banknote features JMW Turner, a distinguished British landscape painter. Considered one of the greatest artists in British history, Turner is best known for his innovative use of light and colour in his paintings. His self-portrait, painted around 1799, is currently in Tate Britain. The banknote also depicts his famous work "The Fighting Temeraire", which is a tribute to the ship HMS Temeraire, which played a key role in Nelson’s victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. The quote "Light is therefore colour" from a lecture Turner delivered in 1818 also appears on the banknote, highlighting his innovative approach to painting.
Security features:
The £20 polymer banknote includes many advanced security features designed to prevent counterfeiting and to help identify genuine banknotes:
Hologram image change: When the banknote is tilted from side to side, the wording switches between "Twenty" and "Pounds".
Transparent window: On the front of the banknote the foil over the window is gold, and on the back it is silver.
Purple foil: A circular purple foil contains the letter "T", located on the back of the banknote, directly behind the silver crown on the front.
Portrait of the monarch in the see-through window: The portrait of King Charles III is printed on the window along with the text "£20 Bank of England" twice around the edge.
Silver foil: The silver foil contains a three-dimensional image of the coronation crown. It is positioned above the main transparent window on the front of the banknote.
Polymer substrate and raised print: The banknote is printed on polymer, which increases its durability and resistance to dirt. Raised print can be felt on the front of the banknote, for example on the words "Bank of England" and in the lower right corner, above the smaller window.
Print quality: The printed lines and colours on the banknote are sharp, clear, and free of smears or blurred edges. Using a magnifying glass, you can see the value of the banknote written in small letters and numerals below the monarch’s portrait.
Ultraviolet number: Under good-quality ultraviolet light, the number "20" appears in bright red and green on the front of the banknote, against a darker background.
The item is exchangeable at a currency exchange office and purchased currency is non-returnable. When purchasing banknotes, if the title or product specification does not specify particular features such as serial number, special marks (if any), year of issue, or portrait version, banknotes are dispatched at random with respect to these parameters, without the buyer’s ability to choose. The customer cannot choose the year of issue, serial number, special marks, condition other than that stated in the product description, or portrait version (e.g., for EUR banknotes — new and old designs, or for GBP banknotes — king or queen portraits). All of the above rules apply to purchase transactions of the listed means of payment.