Bank of England £50 note facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fifty pounds

(United Kingdom)
Value	£50 sterling
Width	146 mm
Height	77 mm
Security features	See-through windows the larger one with the Queen's portrait a maroon border on both the front and back, with gold and green foil squares on the front and silver foil squares on the back, the image squares on the front changes between a '50' and a '£' symbol when the note is tilted, second smaller window at the bottom right corner, raised dots, finely detailed shaped red metallic shape containing the letters 'A' and 'T', turquoise, lilac and pink foil patch with a 3D image of the Coronation Crown, micro-lettering, textured print, UV feature, hologram
Paper type	Polymer
Years of printing	1725–1943; 1981–1994; 1994–2011; 2011–2021; 2021–present (current design)
Obverse
Design	Queen Elizabeth II
Design date	23 June 2021
Reverse
Design	Alan Turing
Designer	Elliott & Fry
Design date	23 June 2021

The Bank of England £50 note is a type of money used in the United Kingdom. It is the largest value banknote that the Bank of England currently prints for people to use. The newest £50 note is made of a special plastic material called polymer. It started being used on June 23, 2021.

This new note shows Queen Elizabeth II on the front. On the back, you will see Alan Turing, a famous computer scientist and World War II codebreaker. His birthday is the same day the new note was released. Older £50 notes, made of cotton, were used alongside the new plastic ones until September 30, 2022. After that date, the old paper notes were no longer valid.

How Did the £50 Note Change Over Time?

Early Days: Handwritten Notes (1725-1853)

The Bank of England first started making £50 notes in 1725. The very first notes were written by hand. They were given out to people as needed. These early notes only had writing on one side. They showed the person's name, the date, and the signature of the bank cashier.

For a long time, you could exchange these notes for gold at the bank. This changed between 1797 and 1821 because of wars. From 1853, printed notes took the place of handwritten ones. The phrase "I promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of fifty pounds" appeared on them. This promise is still on Bank of England notes today.

From Paper to Polymer: Modern £50 Notes

Britain stopped exchanging banknotes for gold in 1931. The £50 note was not made between 1943 and 1981. It came back in 1981 as the "D series" note. These notes were mostly olive green. They had a picture of Queen Elizabeth II on the front. On the back was Christopher Wren, a famous architect.

An old £50 note from 1934, before the modern designs.

These notes had a metallic thread inside them for security. This thread looked like a dashed line. But if you held it up to the light, it looked like one solid line. In 1994, the "E series" notes replaced the D series. These notes were reddish. They showed John Houblon, the first governor of the Bank of England, on the back. They also had a foil patch for extra security.

The £50 note released in 2011 was part of the "F series." It was the first Bank of England note to show two people on the back. These were engineer James Watt and businessman Matthew Boulton. This note also had a special "motion thread." This thread had a moving image that changed as you tilted the note. Other security features included raised print, a watermark, and patterns that only appeared under ultraviolet light.

The New Polymer £50 Note (Series G)

The newest £50 note, called the "Series G," came out in June 2021. It is the last Bank of England note to switch from paper to polymer plastic. The back of this note features Alan Turing. He was a brilliant mathematician and codebreaker.

The Bank of England asked for ideas for who should be on the new note. They received many suggestions for scientists. A list of famous scientists was considered. This list included people like Mary Anning, Stephen Hawking, and Alan Turing. Turing was finally chosen for the new design.

What About the Future of the £50 Note?

Some people have concerns about high-value notes like the £50. An advisor to the British Government, Peter Sands, has suggested that getting rid of these notes could help reduce financial crime. This means making it harder for people to do illegal things with money.

Different Designs of the £50 Note

Here is a quick look at the different designs of the £50 note over the years:

See also

• Bank of England note issues