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Clydesdale Bank £20 note

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Twenty pounds
(United Kingdom)
Value£20 sterling
Width139 mm
Height73 mm
Security featuresRaised print, metallic thread, watermark, microlettering, UV feature, holographic feature, see-through registration device
Material usedPolymer
Years of printing1838–present
2020–present (current design)
Obverse
DesignRobert the Bruce
Design date2020
Reverse
DesignSt Kilda
Design date2020

The Clydesdale Bank £20 note is a sterling banknote. It is the third largest denomination of banknote issued by Clydesdale Bank. The current polymer note, first issued in 2020, bears a portrait of the Scottish king Robert the Bruce on the obverse and an image of the islands of St Kilda on the reverse.

History

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Clydesdale Bank began issuing £20 notes in 1838, the same year as the bank's founding. Early banknotes were monochrome, and printed on one side only. The issuing of banknotes by Scottish banks was regulated by the Banknote (Scotland) Act 1845 until it was superseded by the Banking Act 2009.[1] Though strictly not legal tender in Scotland, Scottish banknotes are nevertheless legal currency and are generally accepted throughout the United Kingdom. Scottish banknotes are fully backed such that holders have the same level of protection as those holding genuine Bank of England notes.[2] The £20 note is currently the third largest denomination of banknote issued by Clydesdale Bank.[3]

The Famous Scots issue of the £20 note featuring the Scottish king Robert the Bruce was introduced in 1971.[4] On the reverse of this note are several images representing a statue of Robert the Bruce, the Monymusk reliquary, Stirling Castle, and a William Wallace monument. The note was updated in 2005 with the bank's new logo on the front, an image of the bank’s new Exchange building. A commemorative issue of the £20 note was produced in 1999 to celebrate Glasgow's designation as that year's UK City of Architecture and Design. This note has a portrait of the architrave Alexander Thomson on the front and an image of Charles Rennie Mackintosh's Lighthouse on the back alongside a representation of the dome of Holmwood House. Another commemorative note was issued in 2006 to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the coronation of Robert the Bruce. This note has Robert the Bruce's coat of arms on the front and a vignette celebrating the anniversary on the back.[5] The World Heritage series £20 note was introduced in 2009. This note also features a portrait of Robert the Bruce on the front, and an image of the model industrial settlement of New Lanark on the back.[6]

On 27 February 2020, a new polymer £20 note was introduced to replace the paper notes.[7]

Designs

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Note First issued Colour Size Design Additional information
Famous Scots 1971 Pink 149 × 80 mm Front: Robert the Bruce; Back: Various images
World Heritage 2009 Pink 149 × 80 mm Front: Robert the Bruce; Back: New Lanark Equestrian statue of Robert the Bruce, Bannockburn
Polymer 2020 Purple 139 × 73 mm Front: Robert the Bruce; Back: St Kilda Statue of Robert the Bruce, Stirling Castle

Information taken from The Committee of Scottish Bankers website.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Banknote History". The Committee of Scottish Bankers. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  2. ^ "Scottish and Northern Ireland Banknotes Factsheet" (PDF). Association of Commercial Banknote Issuers. Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Current Banknotes : Clydesdale Bank". The Committee of Scottish Bankers. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  4. ^ "The Clydesdale Bank's "Famous Scots" Series 1971–2007". Coin News. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
  5. ^ "Banknote Design Features : Clydesdale Bank Famous Scots Series". The Committee of Scottish Bankers. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  6. ^ "Banknote Design Features : Clydesdale Bank World Heritage Series". The Committee of Scottish Bankers. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
  7. ^ "Polymer Banknotes". The Committee of Scottish Bankers. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
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