New J.M.W. Turner £20 polymer banknote: design, release date and security features

The design of the new plastic £20 J.M.W. Turner banknote has been released. Here, we explain everything you need to know about the newest polymer note.

The Bank of England has announced details of the new polymer £20 banknote, which is due to be issued for the first time on 20 February 2020 and will feature the face of much-loved artist J.M.W. Turner.

“Our banknotes celebrate the UK’s heritage, salute its culture, and testify to the achievements of its most notable individuals,” commented Mark Carney, governor of the Bank of England.

“And so, it is with the new £20 banknote, featuring J.M.W Turner, launched today at Turner Contemporary in Margate.

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

Like the Winston Churchill fiver and the Jane Austen tenner, the new £20 will be more durable, secure and cleaner than the old paper notes.

Added security features

The current £20 is Britain's most counterfeited note, so additional security measures have been introduced.

For example, the £20 note will incorporate two windows and a two-colour foil, making it even more difficult to copy.

The Bank describes it as the 'most secure note ever'. 

Deadline for spending current £20 notes

The current £20 notes will be legal tender for quite some time yet, so there's no need to worry about that.

The Bank says they will eventually be gradually withdrawn, but we'll be given six months' notice. 

And even when that deadline passes, it's not like the notes will become worthless: as with earlier notes withdrawn from circulation, you just need to take them in to your local bank (assuming it's still open!) or pay it into your account at your local Post Office.

Design of the new £20 note

The notes includes J.M.W Turner’s self-portrait, which was painted around 1799. Feel like you’ve seen this image before? You’ll find it on display in Tate Britain.

It also features Turner’s painting, The Fighting Temeraire. The work 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” is from an 1818 lecture by Turner, which refers to the innovative use of light, shade, colour and tone in his pictures.

You’ll also see a signature from his will, in which he bequeathed many of his paintings to various British institutions.

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