Bank of England unveils new £50 note

Turing is best known for his codebreaking work during the Second World War and is less well known for his discoveries in the field of biology.

Features on the new £50 note include: a photo of Turing taken in 1951, a table and mathematical formulae, the Automatic Computing Engine Pilot Machine – one of the first electronic stored-program digital computers, technical drawings for the British Bombe – one of the primary tools used to break Enigma-enciphered messages during World War II, Turing’s signature, ticker tape depicting Alan Turing’s birth date (23 June 1912) in binary code, and a quote from Turing.

The polymer £50 note contains advanced security features that can be checked to help confirm that note are genuine:

• a metallic hologram that changes between the words ‘Fifty’ and ‘Pounds’ when the note is tilted.
• a large see-through window with a gold and green foil on the front depicting a finely detailed metallic microchip image.
• There are two green 21 spiral features based on a sunflower head. The foil is silver on the back.
• a metallic hologram that changes between the words ‘Fifty’ and ‘Pounds’ when the note is tilted.
• a silver foil patch with a 3D image of the coronation crown.
• The Queen’s portrait in the see-through window with ‘£50 Bank of England’ printed twice around the edge. (The small clover shapes on the outside of the window are based on architectural features at Bletchley Park.)
• A smaller see-through window in the bottom corner of the note, the shape of which is based on architectural features at Bletchley Park.
• A red foil patch containing the letters ‘AT’ is based on the image of a sunflower head linked to Turing’s morphogenetic work in later life.

Bank of England governor, Andrew Bailey, said: “There’s something of the character of a nation in its money, and we are right to consider and celebrate the people on our banknotes. So I’m delighted that our new £50 features one of Britain’s most important scientists, Alan Turing.

“Turing is best known for his codebreaking work at Bletchley Park, which helped end the Second World War. However in addition he was a leading mathematician, developmental biologist, and a pioneer in the field of computer science. He was also gay, and was treated appallingly as a result. By placing him on our new polymer £50 banknote, we are celebrating his achievements, and the values he symbolises.”

The new £50 note will also feature the signature of Sarah John, the Bank’s chief cashier. She said: “This new £50 note completes our set of polymer banknotes. These are much harder to counterfeit, and with its security features the new £50 is part of our most secure series of banknotes yet. These security features are common across all our banknotes, so if you can check one, you can check them all.”

The public will begin to see the new £50 from 23 June 2021 as the notes enter general circulation. The public can continue to use paper £50 notes as usual. Notice will be given at least six months ahead of the date when the old paper £50 is withdrawn.