The new £20 notes feature an image of artist JMW Turner and his painting, The Fighting Temeraire (Credit: HO / Bank of England / AFP)
The Bank of England has unveiled the new design of the £20 note, Britain's most forged banknote.
The security features of the new note include an image of artist JMW Turner, two see-through windows and a metallic hologram.
In the first half of 2019, 88 percent of of detected banknote forgeries were £20 notes, according to the Bank's statistics.
The £20 note is the most commonly circulating note in Britain, and there are two billion of them in the system. This is double the number of £10 notes in the system and is significantly more than the number of £5 notes (396 million) and £50 notes (344 million).
The banknote features Turner's self-portrait from 1799, which is currently on display in the Tate Britain gallery. One of his most famous paintings, The Fighting Temeraire, which can be seen in the National Gallery, is also featured in the new design.
The quote on the banknote "Light is therefore colour" originates from an 1818 lecture by Turner at the Royal Academy, where he first exhibited at the age of 15. His signature is from his will in which he bequeathed his work to the nation.
Turner replaces Scottish economist Adam Smith on the note. The Bank of England received more than 29,701 nominations from the public after it announced it wanted to celebrate an artist on the new design. A Bank committee whittled this down to a shortlist of five, which included filmmaker Charlie Chaplin, sculptor Barbara Hepworth, painter William Hogarth, and designer Josiah Wedgwood, alongside Turner.
The Bank's governor, Mark Carney, said: "Our banknotes celebrate the UK's heritage, salute its culture, and testify to the achievements of its most notable individuals. And so it is with the new £20 banknote, featuring JMW Turner, launched today at Turner Contemporary in Margate. The new £20 note celebrates Turner, his art and his legacy in all their radiant, colorful, evocative glory."
The new £20 note, featuring two see-through windows and a metallic hologram to thwart counterfeiters (Credit: Bank of England)
He added: "Turner's contribution to art extends well beyond his favorite stretch of shoreline. Turner's painting was transformative, his influence spanned lifetimes and his legacy endures today.
The new Bank of England note is the third banknote to be made from polymer, following the new £5 and £10 notes. The next version of the £50 note, also to be launched by the end of 2021, will be polymer.
The new notes are more sturdy, and are designed to survive a spin in the washing machine. They will also be harder to counterfeit.
Plastic notes have previously been released in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man.
Bank of England governor Mark Carney and British artist Tracey Emin pose for a photograph with the new £20 note (Credit: Leon Neal / POOL / AFP)