On 20th August, Ulster Bank revealed the designs of their new £20 polymer note which symbolises that Northern Ireland is a wonderful country to live in. The inauguration ceremony took place at the Culmore Road branch of Ulster Bank. The lead actor of the famous sitcom ‘Derry Girls’ named Jamie-Lee O’Donnell was also present at the event. The vertical note design depicts street entertainers and their audience. Tiles, brickwork and patterns peculiar to the country’s red-brick tenement buildings are also highlighted. Decorative elements that are seen on famous buildings in Derry, Belfast etc are included as well.

Skeletons and Leisler’s bat (largest bats in Ireland) can be seen under UV light. These elements symbolise the popular Halloween celebrations of Northern Ireland and are a part of the note’s security features. Other elements include a Hawthorne flower, a transparent outline of Lough Neagh and eels, which represent the rich flora and fauna of the country.

The Bank is now asking people to exchange old paper £5 and £10 notes before they are removed from circulation. The exchange process will continue even after the old notes are phased out, but they will not be accepted as legal tender. Notes of the new series are based on the theme ‘Living in Nature’. A team of experts from Northern Ireland finalise the designs for the notes.

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