373) Michael Faraday: A Twenty Pounds
U.K Banknote issued by Bank of England in 1991 & withdrawn from circulation
in 2001:
The Front of the 20 Pounds Banknote
On the Front of this 20
Pounds Banknote is seen a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II
at right with her title “EIIR” (meaning “Elizabeth II Regina”). The portrait of
the Queen shows her wearing Queen Mary’s “Girls of Great Britain and Ireland”
Tiara, Queen Alexandra’s cluster earrings and Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee
necklace.
There is a seated Britannia as
the logo of Bank of England at left. The denomination“20” in numerals is in the
top left corner. In the centre, the denomination “TWENTY Pounds” is mentioned
in words.
At the bottom is the copyright of “THE
GOVERNOR AND COMPANY OF THE BANK OF ENGLAND 1991” (1991 being the year
of introduction of this design of Banknote).
Also seen towards the centre top are electro-magnetic
rings with rings and arrows pointing towards the direction of the
magnetic field and magnetic induction. On the bottom of the Banknote can also
be seen the magnetic poles “N” and “S” mentioned at intermittent intervals
eight times around the magnetic field representation.
The watermark is that of Queen
Elizabeth II, from a few decades ago. On the watermark is easily visible the
rings of the “magnetic field”, an area in which Faraday worked in.
To the right of the watermark, the magnetic
field/induction representation continues and the denomination of the Banknote
“20” is mentioned intermittently, three times.
The Back of the 20 Pounds Banknote
On the Back of this 10
Pound Banknote is seen, at right, a portrait of Michael Faraday (1791-1867) who was an English scientist, who contributed to the
fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His important discoveries
included those of electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism and electrolysis.
On the left side in the foreground are seen Faraday
presenting his Magneto-Electric Spark apparatus at the Royal
Institution Christmas Lecture in 1826.
Stylised representations of some of his discoveries are seen all over this Banknote in the
intervening spaces.
At the bottom is the copyright of “THE
GOVERNOR AND COMPANY OF THE BANK OF ENGLAND 1991” (1991 being the year
of introduction of this design of Banknote).
The denomination of the Banknote
is in numerals “20” on the top left hand corner & in the centre it is given
in words “TWENTY POUNDS”.
This 20 Pound Banknote on Michael Faraday
was issued by the Bank of England on 05.06.1991 under its Series E Banknotes (each
Banknote portraying a famous historical character and appropriate scenes on the
Back). It was last issued on 1993-94. It was withdrawn from circulation on
28.02.2001.
The size of this Banknote is 149
mm x 80 mm. The colour of this Banknote was predominantly
mauve-purple & multicoloured. The designer of this Banknote was Roger
Withington.
This Banknote was also upgraded by the Bank of
England under its Series E (Revised Version). The Revised Version of
this Banknote was first issued on 27.09.1993 & last issued in 2000. This
version also ceased to be legal tender on 28.02.2001.
The size of the Series E
(Revised Version) 20 Pound Banknote was also 149 mm x 80 mm.
The colour underwent some changes: the
colour of the denomination symbol “20” pounds in the top left hand corner
changed to dark purple and additional denomination symbol “20”, black in
colour, to replace the crown feature in the top right corner of the Front.
This denominational symbol “20” pounds was
also added to the top right corner near the head of Michael Faraday on the
Back, which was purple-grey in colour.
The Series of issue of this Banknote:
This Banknote was first issued by the Bank of
England under its “Series E”, which also included George Stephenson (5 Pound Banknote), Charles
Dickens (10 Pound Banknote) and John Houblon (50 Pound Banknote), all of which
stand withdrawn from circulation now.
Presently circulating Bank of England Banknotes:
Presently two denominations under “Series
E (Revision)” – Elizabeth Fry reading to prisoners in Newgate
prison (5 Pound Banknote) and Charles Darwin, a hummingbird and HMS
Beagle (10 Pound Banknote) and
two denominations under “Series F” – Adam
Smith with an illustration of the “division of labour in pin manufacturing”
(20 Pounds Banknote) and Matthew Boulton & James Watt with steam
engine and Boulton’s Soho factory (50 Pounds Banknote) are in circulation,
issued by the Bank of England.
Polymer Banknotes – future plans:
Bank of England is now in
the process of issuing polymer Banknotes, with a new 5 pound polymer Banknote
scheduled to be released on 13th September 2016, (with Winston
Churchill on the Back), a 10 Pound polymer Banknote in 2017 (with Jane Austen
on the Back) and a 20 Pound polymer Banknote by 2020 (with JMW Turner on the
Back).
There are currently no
plans to replace the 50 Pound Banknote, featuring Boulton and Watt on the Back.
All Bank of England
Banknotes are printed by the Banknote printing major – De La Rue – at their
printing facility at Debden, Essex, England.
About Michael Faraday (22.09.1791-25.08.1867):
He was an English scientist who contributed to
the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry.
He had
little formal education, nevertheless, his works have established him as one of
the most influential scientists in history. His research on the magnetic field around a conductor
carrying a direct current established the basis for the concept of the electromagnetic
field in Physics. He also established that magnetism could affect rays of light and that there was an
underlying relationship between the two phenomena.
He
similarly discovered the Principle of Electromagnetic Induction,
diamagnetism and the laws of Electrolysis.
His inventions of electro-magnetic rotary
devices formed the foundation
of electric motor technology and it was largely due to his efforts that
electricity became practical for use in technology.
As a Chemist, Faraday discovered Benzene,
investigated the clathrate hydrate of Chlorine, invented an early form of
the Bunsen burner and the system of Oxidation numbers, and popularised
terminology such as anode, cathode, electrode and ion.
He ultimately became the first and foremost
Fullerian Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, which
was a lifetime position.
His approach:
Michael Faraday was an excellent
experimentalist who conveyed his ideas in clear and simple language. His
mathematical abilities, however, did not extend as far as trigonometry or any
but the simplest Algebra.
James Clerk Maxwell took up the work of Faraday
and other scientists and summarised it in a set of equations that is accepted
as the basis of all modern theories of electromagnetic phenomena.
On
Faraday’s uses of the lines of force, Maxwell wrote that they showed Faraday
“to have been in reality a mathematician of a very high order – one from whom
the mathematicians of the future may derive valuable and fertile methods”. Faraday
twice refused to become the President of the Royal Society.
Positions held & recognition:
In 1838, he was elected a foreign
member of the royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and was one of eight foreign
members elected to the French academy of sciences in 1844.
In 1848, due to the efforts made by the
Prince Consort, he was awarded a grace and favour house in Hampton Court in Middlesex,
free of all expenses and upkeep. This house was the Master mason’s House, which
was later called Faraday House & is now No. 37 Hampton Court road. Faraday
retired in 1858 & began to live there.
In 1849, he was elected as Associate
member to the Royal Institute of the Netherlands, which two years later became
the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and he was subsequently made
foreign member.
His passing away & memorials:
He passed away on 25.08.1867 at the age
of 75 years.
A few years before he passed away, he turned
down an offer of burial at Westminster Abbey upon his death, nevertheless, a
memorial plaque in his honour is placed there near Isaac Newton’s tomb.
A statue of Faraday stands in Savoy Place, London.
A memorial
dedicated to him was unveiled in 1961 at the Elephant & Castle gyratory
system, near faraday’s birthplace at Newington’s Butts in London.
Faraday Gardens (a small park in Walworth,
London), a building at London South Bank University which houses the Institute’s
electrical engineering department is named “Faraday Wing”, a Hall at Loughborough
University is named after him, an 8-storey building at the University of Edinburgh’s
Science and Engineering campus is named after him among other memorials.
Several streets in many British cities,
France, Germany, Canada and the United states are also named after him.
A Royal Society of Arts blue plaque, unveiled
in 1876, honours his memory.
In 2002, Faraday ranked 22 in the BBC’s
list of 100 Greatest Britons, following a UK- wide vote.
His contributions to electromagnetic figured
in an episode of the American Science Documentary Series – “Cosmos: A Spacetime
Odyssey”.
The SI unit of
capacitance is named in Faraday’s honour – the “Farad”.
Some of his writings and works on him by others:
- “Chemical Manipulation, Being Instructions
to Students in Chemistry” (1827)
- “Experimental
researches in Electricity, vols. I and ii” (1839)
- “Experimental
Researches in Chemistry and Physics” (1859)
- “A
Course of Six Lectures on the Chemical History of a Candle” (1861)
- “On
the Various Forces in Nature” (1873) (Posthumously)
- A set
of 8 volumes titled “Michael Faraday” was published in 1932-1936, as well as in
2009
- “Curiosity
Perfectly Satisfyed: Faraday’s Travels in Europe (1813-1815)” (1991)
- “The
Correspondence of Michael Faraday – Volumes 1 to 4” (1991 - 1999)
- “Michael
Faraday’s Mental Exercises: An artisan Essay Circle in Regency London” (2008)
- “Course of six lectures on the various
forces of matter and their relations to each other” (1860)
- “The Liquefaction of Gases” (1896)
- “The letters of Faraday and Schoenbein
1836-1862” (1899)
(The above Banknote is from the
collection of Jayant Biswas. Banknote scanned & uploaded & Post
researched and written by Rajeev Prasad)
Links:
Bank of England Banknotes:
1) A Ten Pounds Banknote issued on Charles Dickens (Writer) also depicting a cricket match from his novel "The Pickwick Papers"
2) A Ten Pound Banknote issued on Charles Darwin (English Naturalist) also depicting the HMS Beagle, Darwin's magnifying glass, a humming-bird & flora that he may have seen on his voyage.
3) A Five Pounds Banknote issued on George Stephenson (an Engineer) also depicting "Rocket" his Railway Locomotive and Skeene Bridge on theStockton Darlington Railway (1825) - since withdrawn
4) A 20 Pounds Banknote issued on Michael Faraday (a Scientist) issued in 1991, since withdrawn from circulation in 2001
Inspirations from Scottish History (Clydesdale Bank Banknotes):
1) The Legend of King Bruce & the Spider on Banknotes
Banknotes from Bank of Scotland:
1) Commemorating Sir William Arrol and his creation the Forth Rail Bridge by issues of Britain's first ever 5 Pound Polymer Banknote
2) The Ryder Cup Commemorative Banknote: A 5 Pounds Banknote issued by the Royal Bank of Scotland in 2014
British Crown Dependencies:
1) Specimen Banknotes from the States of Jersey
2) Coinage and Currency from the States of Jersey
3) Currency & Coinage of the Bailiwick of Guernsey
4) Currency & Coinage of Gibraltar : An Overseas Territory of Great Britain
5) Coinage of Gibraltar: (A British Overseas Territory): An Uncirculated Decimal Coin Collection Set minted by the Tower Mint, UK in 2010
6) The Isle of Man: An Uncirculated Decimal Coin Collection Set minted by Pobjoy Mint, UK in 2015
7) The Centenary of the ill-fated Titanic (15.04.1912 - 15.04.2012): An Alderney Five Pound Coin Commemorating the Maritime Legend
8) "Man of Steel": A Superman Movie: A set of stamps brought out in 2013 by Jersey post, the States of Jersey, commemorating Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill who played Superman in the Movie
9) Coins & Currency of Bermuda
10) The Bailiwick of Jersey - Presently circulating coinage - Pounds and Pence
11) St. Helena & Ascension Islands: An Uncirculated Coin Set from 2003
12) The Legend of the "HMAV Bounty" is interwoven with the heritage of the Pitcairn Islands: An uncirculated coin set from Pitcairn Islands in 2009 depicting the icons/relics of the Bounty minted by the New Zealand Mint
Famous Battles:
1) Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon's Exile to St. Helena: (Part I): A One Crown Commemorative coin issued by the Ascension Island (minted by Pobjoy Mint UK)
2) Bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon's Exile to st. Helena: (Part II) 1) A 5 GBP Coin issued by the Royal Mint UK. 2) A"Drie Landen Zilverset" ( ot the "Three Lands Silver set") containing coins issued by the Royal Dutch Mint including coins of Netherlands, Belgium and UK
3) Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain by issuing a 50 Pence coin by the Royal Mint UK
Gold Coins:
1) Gold Sovereigns issued in 2013 & 2014 by MMTC-PAMP in India under licence from the Royal Mint, UK, carrying the "I" Mint Mark
2) Gold Half-Sovereigns minted by MMTC-PAMP in India in 2014 under licence from the Royal Mint UK bearing the "I" Mint Mark
Silver Coins:
1) A 20 Pound Silver coin minted for the first timr by the royal Mint UK: reverse design carries the famous St. George slaying the dragon design found on Gold Sovereigns
British India Coinage:
1) East India Company Quarter Anna Copper Coin which is one of the first issues under the Coinage Act 1835
2) Victoria Coinage: When she was Queen and afterwards Empress
3) Edward VII: King & Emperor Coinage
4) George V King Emperor Coinage
5) George VI: The last of the British India Emperors Coinage
Other British Royalty:
1) Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations (1952-2012): A Five Pound Commemorative coin issued by the Royal Mint, UK
2) Commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation in 1953: A Five Pound Coin minted by the Royal Mint UK in 2013, depicting the Imperial State Crown
3) The Royal Coat of Arms of the UK: Great British 2012 Coin Set (Uncirculated) issued by the Royal Mint UK
4) Prince George's Christening Ceremony celebrated with coins issued by the Royal Mint UK in 2013
5) The British Empire: A Case of Numismatic "segregation": (Guest Post by Rahul Kumar)
6) 1) The Portrait Collection: Various Portraits of Queen Elizabeth II on Coinage 2) The Fourth & Final Circulating coinage of the Portrait designed by Ian Rank-Broadley and the First Edition of the portrait of the Queen made by Jody Clark
British Coinage:
1) The contribution of the Great British One-Pound coins in keeping alive the historical legends/emblems/heritage of the UK (1983 onwards)
2) Transformation of a Five shilling Coin (Crown) into the UK Twenty-five Pence & then the Five Pound Coin
3) Transformation of the Two Shilling Coin (Florin) Coin into the UK Ten Pence
4) The 350th Anniversary of the Guinea: A Two Pound Coin issued by the Royal Mint UK celebrating the milestone
Commemorative British Coinage:
1) Commemorating the Bicentenary of Charles Dickens: A Two pound coin celebrating his literary contributions during the Victorian Era
2) Commemorating 50 Years of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) - presently called the World Wide Fund for Nature by issue of a Fifty Pence coin by the Royal Mint, UK
3) Coins commemorating London Olympics & Paralympics (2012)
4) Commemorating 150 Years of the London Underground : Two pound Coins minted by the Royal Mint UK, showing the "Roundel" logo and a train emerging from a tunnel
5) Commemorating the 100th Birth anniversary of Christopher Ironside with his" Royal Arms" design on a 50 Pence coin issued by the Royal Mint, UK
6) 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta - the Universal Guidepost to Liberty and Freedom
