The Ulster Bank, a subsidiary of National Westminster Bank Plc., has issued (14th October) the latest £20 denomination which is part of their new “Living in Nature” family of banknotes which sees this denomination now printed on polymer. With the introduction of the new series, all three Ulster Bank denominations underwent a change in design which includes a vertical format and an upgrade in security features. The series was first introduced with the release of £5 and £10 denominations in March 2019. The design for the £20 banknote was unveiled in July this year with the Ulster Bank indicating the release of the new notes would be later in 2020. The new £20 banknotes carry the date 22 FEBRUARY 2019, along with the signature of Katie Murray, Chief Financial Officer of National Westminster Bank Plc., of which the Ulster Bank is a part of. As with the £5 and £10 notes issued earlier this year, the £20 notes are produced on polymer, with the Ulster Bank making the move to this substrate as the Bank of England has done with the issue of these same three denominations. The new notes also include advanced security features that will make the notes much more difficult to counterfeit. The new series was developed by a panel of experts and people from across Northern Ireland, affording them an opportunity to show the creativity and talent of local people.
The face includes an image of hawthorn flowers and a butterfly, which is the main focal point. To the upper-left is an image of three eels.
Featured on the back are images of Derry/Londonderry’s world-famous Halloween celebrations, which highlight street entertainers and their appreciative audience, reflecting local music and culture, as well as tiles, brickwork, and patterns inspired by Northern Ireland’s ubiquitous red-brick public housing buildings. Other elements of the note’s unique design are drawn from the ornate decoration found on and in famous public buildings, corporate architecture, and domestic homes in Derry, Belfast, and other cities in Northern Ireland. As a nod to Londonderry’s famous Halloween celebrations, security features visible under UV light incorporate skeletons and Leisler’s bat, which is the largest type of bat in Ireland.
Updated security features include:
Colour-shifting ink: This application is in the shape of the Ulster Bank logo, and is located in the upper-right corner as viewed from the face. When the note is tilted, the colour of the logo shifts colour from purple to pink.
Embossing application: A single embossed numeral of 20 can be seen and felt on the note’s clear window.
Tactile application: A series of four raised dots in three segments in a row are located on the £20 and can be felt on the upper-left corner when viewed from the face side. These tactile dots are used to identify the note for visually impaired persons.
Iridescent ink application: As seen on the face and adjacent left to the image of hawthorn flowers are images of light pink iridescent leaves, which are visible when the note is tilted in the light.
UV printing: On the backside, by placing the note under ultraviolet light, a geometric numeral 20, four flying Leisler’s bats, two dancing skeletons, a pillar, and an ornate tile will all fluoresce and be visible.
Source: Coinupdate
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