When will the new £50 note be issued?

Deputy Lord Mayor’s Blog 33

Readers of this blog may recall a mention of the new £50 note that was announced by the Governor of the Bank of England at the time of the opening of the Matthew Boulton exhibition in the summer of 2009 when I was Lord Mayor. The question naturally arises as to when the note will be launched. The current position is that the redesigned note is undergoing production trials and the Bank of England will provide an update on the timelines once these trials are complete.

The new £50 note will be the second in the Series F family which began with the introduction of the Adam Smith £20 note in 2007 so its overall appearance will be similar. But, of particular interest to us here in Birmingham, for the first time two portraits will appear together on the reverse of the note, those of Boulton and Watt, along with the image of a steam engine and the historic Soho (Birmingham) Manufactory – a great tribute to our city.

As with the Adam Smith £20 banknote however, continuity will be provided with the current portrait of Her Majesty The Queen, which was first used in 1990 and which will be retained on the front of the note. Further details of the design and the range of security features to be included on the new note will be revealed when the new note is launched, within a full promotion and awareness campaign. Let’s hope it’s not too long delayed.