Clydesdale Bank to Launch New Banknote Family

Clydesdale Bank has today (14 January) unveiled the designs of a new family of banknotes, which will be introduced later this year, in celebration of the best of Scotland’s heritage, people and culture.

Introduced to coincide with the Homecoming celebrations, the front of each new note will honour a prominent and innovative Scot while the reverse of each note will feature one of Scotland’s five World Heritage sites.

As well as being the first time in almost twenty years that the Clydesdale has launched a completely new family of banknotes, it will also be the very first time that a new ‘depth image’ hologram security feature will be used on a UK banknote.

David Thorburn, Chief Operating Officer of Clydesdale Bank, said: “Clydesdale Bank’s new banknote family showcases the best of Scotland – its people and its heritage. We are the largest note issuer in Scotland and I am delighted that we are introducing such an innovative and striking set of notes during the Homecoming. I am particularly pleased that a new portrait of Robert Burns will feature on one of our most popular notes – a fitting tribute in the 250^th Anniversary of the year that he was born.”

The new note designs unveiled today are:

·        £5 Featuring Sir Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin, on the front and St Kilda on the reverse.

·        £10 Featuring Robert Burns on the front and The Old & New Towns of Edinburgh on the reverse.

·        £20 Featuring Robert the Bruce on the front and New Lanark on the reverse.

·        £50 Featuring Elsie Inglis, a suffragette and surgeon, on the front and the Antonine Wall on the reverse.

·        £100 Featuring Charles Rennie Mackintosh, architect and designer, on the front and the Heart of Neolithic Orkney on the reverse.

Scotland’s five World Heritage Sites have been identified by UNESCO as surpassing “local or national importance and are part of the shared heritage of mankind”

Alex Salmond MSP MP, First Minister, said, “Scotland has produced banknotes for hundreds of years, marking the culture, heritage, tradition and resilience of Scotland, its people and our financial sector. Clydesdale Bank’s launch of a new banknote family, commemorating the 250^th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns and Homecoming 2009, is an indication of its strength and commitment to Scotland in the current economic climate.

“I would like to thank Clydesdale Bank, these new designs are a wonderful contribution to the Homecoming celebrations. These commemorative notes will be in circulation, worldwide, forever – I cannot think of a greater start to our year of celebrations nor a better, lasting legacy for Homecoming 2009.”

Joanne Orr, Chair of the Scotland Committee of the UK National Commission for UNESCO, said, “We are delighted to see Scotland’s World Heritage Sites being celebrated in this way. This is a unique and exciting means of raising the profile of Scotland’s five outstanding World Heritage Sites.  These sites are rich examples of Scotland’s cultural and natural heritage that we can all be proud of.”

John Graham, Historic Scotland chief executive, said: “We are delighted that Scotland’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites are being featured on the new banknotes.

“Historic Scotland is closely involved with the care and promotion of some of these sites, like the Antonine Wall and the Heart of Neolithic Orkney, and is passionate about the importance of all of them as vital parts of our national heritage.

Shonaig Macpherson, Chairman for the National Trust for Scotland said, “In this year of Homecoming it is fitting that we celebrate Scotland’s natural and cultural treasures. Many of those featured have links to the Trust, including the wonderful Dual World Heritage site of St Kilda.”

Clydesdale Bank has also introduced a range of new security features to the banknotes, including innovative ‘depth image’ holograms. The new banknotes each have distinctive design elements and strong colours. The strong portrait subjects, big bold denomination numerals and the use of colour give each note its own individual character while the sweeping views of the Scottish world heritage sites gives rich imagery and personality to the back of the notes.

Clydesdale Bank is the largest note issuer in Scotland, with over £1.1bn in circulation in any given week.

The new notes will enter circulation in late autumn 2009. The current banknote family is likely to remain in circulation for a number of years after this and will continue to retain their value after this date.

 

-ENDS-

 

Clydesdale bank has launched the conceptual images of five new banknotes. Subject to relatively minor technical changes, the new notes will begin to enter circulation in late 2009.

With the introduction of the new banknote family, Clydesdale Bank will launch a public and business awareness campaign.  Posters and leaflets will be distributed in our branches across Scotland and our website will feature a page on new note design.  We are also writing to businesses and organisations across the UK and Europe.

The banknotes will be printed by De La Rue.