Scotland, Bank of Scotland Limited - £20 Polymer and Queensferry Crossing over the Firth of Forth Commemorative Collectors Set

Alba / Scotland

Bank of Scotland Limited
(Established 17.07.1695, First bank to issue banknote in Scotland)
Currency : Pound Sterling (GBP)

On 07.11.2019, the Bank of Scotland unveiled two new £20 polymer notes. The theme for these new notes are the same as the current "Bridge and Viaducts" series. This series was first issued in 2007 with a full set from £5 to £100. These two new polymer notes were released to the public on 27.02.2020, consists of one normal and one commemorative note.

On 10.03.2020, the Bank of Scotland released the two new polymer notes of £20 in a presentation pack with matching serial numbers. These are purposely put together as a pair with matching serial numbers. The two notes issued are one for general circulation type with the first prefix of AA and the other one is a limited commemorative edition with the prefix of QC, celebrating the Queensferry Crossing bridge. These notes have a general low serial numbers range, and it is believed that the first batch released with serial numbers range from 400 to 600 and then 900 and beyond (presumably but not confirmed). Obviously with 1000 sets to be issued, not all are in sequential order. These sets are put together for a good cause and sold at a premium with all profits raised donated to the Bank's group charity.

Front
Portrait of Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott (b.1771-1832);
Bank of Scotland Headquarters on The Mound, a man-made slope situated in central Edinburgh which connects Edinburgh’s New and Old Towns;
Bank of Scotland Crest;
Spark® denomination numeral "20";
Image of Four Thistles;
Holographic foil stripe featuring image of ‘Fame’ below the pediment of the Mound with a thistle motif in the background;
Bank of Scotland name and logo.

The design on the front for these two notes are the same but not the same as those previous two polymer notes issued i.e. £5 and £10. Unlike those earlier polymer notes issued, this £20 is printed with the holographic depth stripe.

Back
Normal Note
Vignette of the famous Forth Bridges and wording ‘Forth Bridge’;
Lyrics from the traditional ballad ‘Far Over the Forth’;
Bank of Scotland Headquarters on The Mound;
A Thistle;
Holographic foil stripe featuring image of ‘Fame’ below the pediment of the mound, with a thistle motif in the background;
Bank of Scotland name and logo.

The Queensferry Crossing bridge is also visible in the background. The distinctive red Forth Bridge, a cantilever railway bridge crossing the Firth of Forth which is located nine miles west of the city of Edinburgh. The construction for The Forth Bridge was started in 1882 and completed in 1889 and is one of the many famous man made landmarks in Scotland. This bridge is for rail traffic only. The Forth Bridge has a length of 8,094 feet and double tracks elevated to 150 feet above the water level at high tide. This bridge was designed by the English engineers Sir John Fowler and Sir Benjamin Baker. The Forth bridge was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in July 2015.

Commemorative Note
Vignette of the Queensferry Crossing with the Forth Bridges in the background, and the wording ‘Queensferry Crossing’;
Lyrics from the traditional ballad ‘Far Over the Forth’;
Bank of Scotland Headquarters on The Mound;
A Thistle;
Holographic foil stripe featuring image of ‘Fame’ below the pediment of the mound, with a thistle motif in the background;
Bank of Scotland name and logo.

This commemorative note is issued to celebrate the Queensferry Crossing bridge which was completed in 2017. Unlike the Forth Bridge, this Queensferry Crossing bridge is for vehicle traffic only. This bridge was built alongside the Forth Bridge. This is the third bridge linking South Queensferry to Fife and was opened to traffic in 2017. This is a limited commemorative issue printed with the special prefixes of QC (Queensferry Crossing) and QF (Queensferry) only.

Both notes are printed with see-through tiny windows or an anti-counterfeit “window effect” on The Mound and a holographic depth stripe at the top of the foil, showing a “Northern Lights effect” when the note is tilted.

Below is a picture of the three bridges built across the Firth of Forth linking between Edinburgh, at South Queensferry, and Fife, at North Queensferry. The distance between these bridges is about 1 to 1.5 miles. These bridges are (L-R) Forth bridge (b.1889), Forth Road bridge (b.1964) and Queensferry Crossing bridge (built 2017). These 3 bridges are famous landmarks in Scotland.

a bird's eye view of all 3 bridges, courtesy of visitscotland.com

These two notes are both dated 1st June 2019.

Governor - Antonio Mota de Sousa Horta-Osorio
Treasurer - Philip Grant
Imprinter - De La Rue
Size - 139mm x 73mm

Twenty Pounds (Normal first prefix note)

Dated 2019, Prefix AA

Reverse

Twenty Pounds (Commemorative note with QC prefix)

Dated 2019, Prefix QC

Reverse

Folder Front Cover