the series e (variant) £20 note came out in 1999.
when did the series e (variant) £20 note come out?
1999
after world war ii, the £20 denomination did not reappear until 1970, when the new series d £20 note, predominantly in purple and featuring a statue of william shakespeare and the balcony scene from "romeo and juliet" on its reverse, was introduced on 9 july. on 5 june 1991 this note was replaced by the first series e £20 note, featuring the physicist michael faraday and the royal institution lectures. by 1999 this note had been extensively copied, and therefore it became the first denomination to be replaced on 22 june 1999 by a second series e design, featuring a bolder denomination figure at the top left of the obverse side, and a reverse side featuring the composer sir edward elgar and worcester cathedral.
bank of england note issues
the current £20 note was introduced in 2007. it features a portrait of scottish economist adam smith on the back as well as an illustration of workers in a pin factory. the note features a number of security features in addition to the metallic thread: these include raised print, a watermark, microlettering, a holographic strip, a see-through register, and a colourful pattern which only appears under ultraviolet light. in september 2015 the bank of england announced that the next £20 note will be printed on polymer, rather than cotton paper. this was followed by an announcement in april 2016 that adam smith will be replaced by artist j. m. w. turner on the next £20 note, which will enter circulation in 2020. images on the reverse of the turner note will include a c.1799 self-portrait of turner, a version of turner's "the fighting temeraire", the quote "light is therefore colour" from an 1818 lecture by turner, and a copy of turner's signature as made on his will.
bank of england £20 note