The Kelpies and Falkirk Wheel feature on new £50 note
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The new polymer note will enter circulation on July 1.
Evolving the existing “Bridge Series”, a new image of the world’s first and only rotating boat lift, the Falkirk Wheel, will be visible on the reverse.
The note also features the poem ‘Steam Barge’, which was written by William Muir after he saw the newly-invented steam boat passing through Scotland’s Grand Canal.
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Hide AdIt’s the first time the famous Falkirk structure will be joined by an image of the shape-shifting water spirits, The Kelpies.
The two 300-tonne horses’ heads have been added to the £50 note in celebration of the contribution of horses to the history of Scotland. Furthermore, a new UV feature depicts a horse pulling a canal barge, one of the ways horses shaped the geographical layout of the Falkirk area.
The recognition has been warmly welcomed.
Catherine Topley, chief executive officer of Scottish Canals, said: “I am delighted one of Scottish Canals’ most iconic attractions will be showcased on the Bank of Scotland’s new £50 note.
“This decision by the Bank of Scotland pays homage to Scottish Canals’ transformation in central Scotland over the last 20 years.
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Hide Ad“From abandoned backwaters, to Scotland’s most vibrant city-to-city and sea-to-sea canal corridor, with our incredible destinations The Falkirk Wheel and The Kelpies at the heart of the canal renaissance.
“The note also complements the appearance of The Falkirk Wheel in the United Kingdom’s passports, recognising its significance to the nation’s infrastructure.”
Keen-eyed note holders will also notice the change in colour from traditional green to red.
The front of the new note will portray the Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott, alongside the image of The Mound in Edinburgh - as the current £50 note does.
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Hide AdThe note has important security features which include an anti-counterfeit ‘window effect’ – transparent windows within The Mound frontage and a transparent vertical stripe – on the front of the note.
The foil also displays a ‘Northern Lights’ effect, with stars and colours resembling the phenomena appearing, when the note is tilted.