---
title: "What is on United Kingdom's banknotes?"
description: "The Pound sterling: who is on each denomination, what was withdrawn and why, what the notes are printed on, and whether the sizes differ."
url: https://atoneplace.net/banknote/united-kingdom/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What is on the money in United Kingdom?

**The money in United Kingdom: Pound sterling (GBP, £)**

4 denominations in issue · Polymer

Every Bank of England note has been polymer since 2021, which was driven by durability rather than security: a polymer fiver lasts about two and a half times as long as a paper one. Notes carrying King Charles III entered circulation on 5 June 2024, and both monarchs' notes circulate together rather than one replacing the other on a date. Turing's £50 in 2021 was the first time the Bank put a gay man on a note, and it was widely read as a formal apology.

## Who and what is on each note

| Note | Who or what is on it | Colour |
| --- | --- | --- |
| £5 | Winston Churchill | Turquoise |
| £10 | Jane Austen | Orange |
| £20 | J. M. W. Turner | Purple |
| £50 | Alan Turing | Red |

## The unusual part

Scotland and Northern Ireland have seven separate commercial banks that issue their own notes. Those are not legal tender anywhere in the UK, including Scotland — legal tender is a narrow term about settling debts in court, and almost nothing about everyday payment depends on it.

## Notes that were withdrawn

| Note | When | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Paper £5, £10 and £20 | 2017 to 2022 | Replaced by polymer. Paper notes ceased to be legal tender but the Bank of England still exchanges them at face value indefinitely. |
| £1 note | 1988 | Replaced by the coin in 1983; the note was withdrawn five years later. |

## The practical facts

- **Currency:** Pound sterling — ISO code GBP, symbol £
- **Printed on:** Polymer
- **Survives a wash?:** Yes. Polymer notes come out of a washing machine intact.
- **Can a blind person tell them apart?:** Yes — the denominations differ in size, which is the simplest and most reliable tactile cue there is.
- **Highest note in issue:** £50 — Alan Turing

> This page describes the notes rather than showing them. Reproducing a banknote image is restricted in most jurisdictions, and the restrictions differ between them.

## Common questions

### Who is on the money in United Kingdom?

£5: Winston Churchill. £10: Jane Austen. £20: J. M. W. Turner. £50: Alan Turing.

### Are United Kingdom's banknotes polymer or paper?

Polymer. Polymer notes last two to three times as long as paper ones and survive a washing machine.

### Why was the Paper £5, £10 and £20 withdrawn?

Replaced by polymer. Paper notes ceased to be legal tender but the Bank of England still exchanges them at face value indefinitely. (2017 to 2022.)

## Related pages

- [United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/country/united-kingdom/)
- [The flag of United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/flag/united-kingdom/)
- [The money in United States](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/united-states/)
- [The money in Eurozone](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/eurozone/)
- [The money in India](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/india/)
- [The money in Japan](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/japan/)
- [The money in Zimbabwe](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/zimbabwe/)
- [The money in Australia](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/australia/)
- [The money in Canada](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/canada/)
- [The money in China](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/china/)
- [The money in Switzerland](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/switzerland/)
- [The money in South Africa](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/south-africa/)

## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)