The Bank of England is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Queen's image on banknotes with a new exhibition. Taking into account its appearance on postage stamps and coins since 1952 and on Bank of England notes since 1960, the Queen's portrait is probably the most reproduced image in the history of the world. The first banknote to carry her portrait was a one pound note issued on March 17, 1960, but the image of the Queen has since been updated on a number of occasions, in 1963 by Reynolds Stone, in 1970 and 1971 by Harry Ecclestone and most recently in 1990 by Roger Withington.
Photo by Eddie Mulholland: Robert Austin's artworkThe original 1960 sketch by Robert Austin, which shows the design at an earlier stage, is also on display. The exhibition at the Bank of England Museum, A Decoration and a Safeguard, which traces the development of the portrait of the Queen on the notes, features not only the five different portraits done since 1960 but their preliminary sketches and printing plates. Letters and material relating to the five portraits will also be on display at the exhibition which runs from March 17 to June 4. There will also be previously unseen sketches and artwork from the bank's collection including rejected designs and early unissued banknotes.
Photo : 1960 £1 featuring first appearance of portrait by Roger Austin
Photo : 1963 £5 featuring first appearance of portrait by Reynolds Stone
Photo : 1971 £5 featuring first appearance of portrait by Harry Ecclestone
Photo : 1990 £5 featuring first appearance of portrait by Roger Withington
Last week, the Bank of England announced that £20 notes featuring Sir Edward Elgar will not be legal tender after June 30. From July 1, only notes with the image of Adam Smith, the Scottish economist, which came into circulation in March 2007, will be legal. The Bank of England has been issuing banknotes for more than 300 years.
"Kings and queens have been depicted on Britain's coinage since Anglo-Saxon times but it was not until 1960 that the monarch first appeared on a Bank of England note," said curator John Keyworth.
"There were two main reasons to introduce the royal portrait.
"Firstly, the Bank had been nationalised in 1946, and by portraying the monarch on its notes the institution recognised that it was now publicly owned.
"Secondly, the highly specialised art of the hand-engraved portrait added a formidable anti-forgery feature."
This is one exhibition numismatist and philatelist could not missed. Its not easy to find all the material relating the Queen Elizabeth II images in one place like this. I wish Bank of England Museum can somehow make a commonwealth tour exhibition since Queen Elizabeth II images mostly used throughout the Commonwealth realms.
Photo : 1960 £1 featuring first appearance of portrait by Roger Austin
Photo : 1963 £5 featuring first appearance of portrait by Reynolds Stone
Photo : 1971 £5 featuring first appearance of portrait by Harry Ecclestone
Photo : 1990 £5 featuring first appearance of portrait by Roger WithingtonLast week, the Bank of England announced that £20 notes featuring Sir Edward Elgar will not be legal tender after June 30. From July 1, only notes with the image of Adam Smith, the Scottish economist, which came into circulation in March 2007, will be legal. The Bank of England has been issuing banknotes for more than 300 years.
"Kings and queens have been depicted on Britain's coinage since Anglo-Saxon times but it was not until 1960 that the monarch first appeared on a Bank of England note," said curator John Keyworth.
"There were two main reasons to introduce the royal portrait.
"Firstly, the Bank had been nationalised in 1946, and by portraying the monarch on its notes the institution recognised that it was now publicly owned.
"Secondly, the highly specialised art of the hand-engraved portrait added a formidable anti-forgery feature."
This is one exhibition numismatist and philatelist could not missed. Its not easy to find all the material relating the Queen Elizabeth II images in one place like this. I wish Bank of England Museum can somehow make a commonwealth tour exhibition since Queen Elizabeth II images mostly used throughout the Commonwealth realms.
Source: Telegraph.co.uk
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