Banknote 20 Great British Pound - Queen Elizabeth II (20 pound / 20 GBP) Circulated
The £20 polymer banknote featuring Queen Elizabeth II was introduced into circulation by the Bank of England on 20 February 2020. It was the third polymer banknote in the series, following the introduction of the £5 and £10 notes, and continued the modernisation of the UK currency by increasing its durability and strengthening protections against counterfeiting.
Important! Condition of the banknote: circulated. The image is for illustrative purposes.
Obverse of the banknote:
The front side of the banknote features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. This portrait is a standard element of all British banknotes, symbolising 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, an eminent British landscape painter. Turner, considered one of the greatest artists in British history, is best known for his innovative use of light and colour in his paintings. His self-portrait, painted around 1799, is now housed at Tate Britain.
The banknote also depicts his famous work "The Fighting Temeraire", which is a tribute to the ship HMS Temeraire, playing a key role in Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
The quote "Light is therefore colour" from Turner's 1818 lecture also appears on the banknote, highlighting his innovative approach to painting.
Security features:
The £20 polymer banknote contains many advanced security features designed to prevent counterfeiting and to help identify genuine banknotes:
Hologram image change:
When you tilt the banknote from side to side, the words change between "Twenty" and "Pounds".
See-through window:
On the front of the banknote, the foil over the window is gold, and on the reverse it is silver.
Purple foil:
A round purple foil contains the letter "T", located on the reverse of the banknote, directly behind the silver crown on the front.
Monarch's portrait in the see-through window:
A portrait of Queen Elizabeth II is printed on the window along with the text "£20 Bank of England" twice around the edge.
Silver foil:
Above the main see-through window on the front of the banknote there is a silver foil with a three-dimensional image of the coronation crown.
Polymer substrate and raised print:
The banknote is printed on polymer, which increases its durability and resistance to dirt. On the front of the banknote you can feel raised print, 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 from smudges or blurred edges. Using a magnifier, you can see the value of the banknote written in tiny 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.
This item is treated as a bureau de change product and the purchased means of payment is non-returnable. When purchasing banknotes, if the title or product specification does not specify particular features such as the serial number, special marks (if any), year of issue, or design version, the banknotes are dispatched at random with respect to these parameters, without the possibility of selection by the buyer. The customer cannot choose the year of issue, serial number, special marks, a condition other than that indicated in the product description, or the design version (e.g., for EUR banknotes – new and old designs, or for GBP banknotes – depictions of the King or the Queen). All of the above rules apply to transactions for the purchase of the mentioned means of payment.