Queen Elizabeth II is emblazoned on the front of all banknotes, while other personalities from British history and culture are featured on the back. In addition, pounds produced in other countries, such as Northern Ireland and Scotland, feature illustrations of local figures. On Scottish banknotes, for example, is the face of Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), an important Scottish writer. Local banks print this money, but the Bank of England oversees its production.
GBP
Creation 1694
No. of ballots 4
Bills in circulation 3.421 million (February/2016)
countries that use 5 countries and 9 territories
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Personality
Winston Churchill (1874-1965), Prime Minister and key Allied leader in World War II
Phrase
“I have nothing to offer but blood, suffering, tears and sweat”, from his first speech as Prime Minister
Icons
Palace of Westminster (English Parliament), Elizabeth Tower and Westminster Bridge, all located in London
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Personality
Charles Darwin (1809-1882), scientist, famous for elaborating the theory of natural selection
Phrase
It does not have
Icons
HMS Beagle, the ship on which Darwin traveled around the globe to work out his theory. The flowers and the hummingbird represent the flora and fauna, the scientist’s object of study. There is also an illustration of the magnifying glass he used.
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Personality
Adam Smith (1723-1790), one of the fathers of modern economics. His greatest work is An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (known as The Wealth of Nations)
Phrase
“The Division of Labor in the Manufacture of Pins (and the Great Increase in the Quantity of Labor Resulting from It)”, excerpt from the book
Icons
Workers in a pin factory
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Personality
Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) and James Watt (1736-1819), inventors who revolutionized steam engines in the 18th and 19th centuries
Phrase
“I sell here, sir, what everybody wants to have – power” (Boulton) and “I can think of nothing but this machine” (Watt)
Icons
At the top, an English factory during the industrial revolution; below, a steam engine
Shilling or pence?
If you’ve read any old British books, such as those by Agatha Christie, you’ll have seen references to the «shilling». In the United Kingdom, £1 was divided into 20 shillings (shillings), and each shilling into 12 pence (plural of penny). So, every lbamounted to 240 pence. Imagine how difficult it was to calculate! But in 1971, money adopted the decimal system and ended this confusion.
controversial note
The new £5 note caused intense debate. Vegans were annoyed that the Bank of England used animal fat in production to increase the durability of the note and its friction with the hands. And feminists complained about the effigy: Winston Churchill replaced philanthropist Elizabeth Fry, a previous honoree. Now, there are no more women in pounds. To circumvent the problem, the Bank of England should issue a banknote with the face of the writer Jane Austen.
THE DESIGN AND SECURITY ELEMENTS OF THE POUND STERLING
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1) High relief
Makes counterfeiting difficult and helps the visually impaired to identify banknotes
2) Chief cashier’s signature
A type of technical director who oversees Bank of England divisions
3) Crown hologram
Adhesive to the banknote, in 3D effect. When the banknote is tilted, the background and image change color
4) promissory note
Below the Bank of England logo, all banknotes feature the phrase in English “I promise to pay the bearer on the spot the sum of five/ten/twenty/fifty pounds”. It harks back to the time when banknotes represented deposits of gold and whoever owned them could exchange them for gold coins of the same value.
5) Ultraviolet light
Under this type of light, a bright green and red “5” appears, and the background takes on a darker color.
6) Transparency
Another photo of the Queen, highlighted by the phrase £5 BANK OF ENGLAND. Next to it, an image of the Elizabeth Tower, gold on the front of the banknote and silver on the back.
7) Hologram of value
Sticker stamp that alternates between the words «Cinco» and «Libras» (in English)
8) Queen Elizabeth II
Accessed the throne in February 1952 and appears on all notes issued by the Bank of England since 1960
9) Microprints
The value of the note appears in small letters and numbers, visible only with a magnifying glass
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10) Serial number
It appears twice, vertically and horizontally, but its location varies by note. Horizontally, the letters and numbers are colored and increase in size from left to right. Vertically, it is always in one color and the same size
11) Labyrinth hologram
Another sticker, on the back of the wreath. Represents the labyrinth of Blenheim, the palace in Oxfordshire where Churchill was born
12) Special color
Colored frame and pound symbol change hue when banknote is tilted
SOURCES Bank of England, Encyclopedia Britannica, Oxford Dictionary, The Guardian, Independent, BBC