373) Michael Faraday: A Twenty PoundsU.K Banknote issued by Bank of England in 1991 & withdrawn from circulationin 2001:
The Front of the 20 Pounds Banknote
On the Front of this 20Pounds Banknote is seen a portrait of Queen Elizabeth IIat right with her title “EIIR” (meaning “Elizabeth II Regina”). The portrait ofthe Queen shows her wearing Queen Mary’s “Girls of Great Britain and Ireland”Tiara, Queen Alexandra’s cluster earrings and Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubileenecklace.
There is a seated Britannia asthe logo of Bank of England at left. The denomination“20” in numerals is in thetop left corner. In the centre, the denomination “TWENTY Pounds” is mentionedin words.
At the bottom is the copyright of “THEGOVERNOR AND COMPANY OF THE BANK OF ENGLAND 1991” (1991 being the yearof introduction of this design of Banknote).
Also seen towards the centre top are electro-magneticrings with rings and arrows pointing towards the direction of themagnetic field and magnetic induction. On the bottom of the Banknote can alsobe seen the magnetic poles “N” and “S” mentioned at intermittent intervalseight times around the magnetic field representation.
The watermark is that of QueenElizabeth II, from a few decades ago. On the watermark is easily visible therings of the “magnetic field”, an area in which Faraday worked in.
To the right of the watermark, the magneticfield/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 10Pound Banknote is seen, at right, a portrait of Michael Faraday (1791-1867) who was an English scientist, who contributed to thefields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry. His important discoveriesincluded those of electromagnetic induction, diamagnetism and electrolysis.
On the left side in the foreground are seen Faradaypresenting his Magneto-Electric Spark apparatus at the RoyalInstitution Christmas Lecture in 1826.
Stylised representations of some of his discoveries are seen all over this Banknote in theintervening spaces.
At the bottom is the copyright of “THEGOVERNOR AND COMPANY OF THE BANK OF ENGLAND 1991” (1991 being the yearof introduction of this design of Banknote).
The denomination of the Banknoteis in numerals “20” on the top left hand corner & in the centre it is givenin words “TWENTY POUNDS”.
This 20 Pound Banknote on Michael Faradaywas issued by the Bank of England on 05.06.1991 under its Series E Banknotes (eachBanknote portraying a famous historical character and appropriate scenes on theBack). It was last issued on 1993-94. It was withdrawn from circulation on28.02.2001.
The size of this Banknote is 149mm x 80 mm. The colour of this Banknote was predominantlymauve-purple & multicoloured. The designer of this Banknote was RogerWithington.
This Banknote was also upgraded by the Bank ofEngland under its Series E (Revised Version). The Revised Version ofthis Banknote was first issued on 27.09.1993 & last issued in 2000. Thisversion 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: thecolour of the denomination symbol “20” pounds in the top left hand cornerchanged to dark purple and additional denomination symbol “20”, black incolour, to replace the crown feature in the top right corner of the Front.
This denominational symbol “20” pounds wasalso added to the top right corner near the head of Michael Faraday on theBack, which was purple-grey in colour.
The Series of issue of this Banknote:
This Banknote was first issued by the Bank ofEngland under its “Series E”, which also included George Stephenson (5 Pound Banknote), CharlesDickens (10 Pound Banknote) and John Houblon (50 Pound Banknote), all of whichstand withdrawn from circulation now.
Presently circulating Bank of England Banknotes:
Presently two denominations under “SeriesE (Revision)” – Elizabeth Fry reading to prisoners in Newgateprison (5 Pound Banknote) and Charles Darwin, a hummingbird and HMSBeagle (10 Pound Banknote) and
two denominations under “Series F” – AdamSmith with an illustration of the “division of labour in pin manufacturing”(20 Pounds Banknote) and Matthew Boulton & James Watt with steamengine 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 inthe process of issuing polymer Banknotes, with a new 5 pound polymer Banknotescheduled to be released on 13th September 2016, (with WinstonChurchill on the Back), a 10 Pound polymer Banknote in 2017 (with Jane Austenon the Back) and a 20 Pound polymer Banknote by 2020 (with JMW Turner on theBack).
There are currently noplans to replace the 50 Pound Banknote, featuring Boulton and Watt on the Back.
All Bank of EnglandBanknotes are printed by the Banknote printing major – De La Rue – at theirprinting facility at Debden, Essex, England.
About Michael Faraday (22.09.1791-25.08.1867):
He was an English scientist who contributed tothe fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry.
He hadlittle formal education, nevertheless, his works have established him as one ofthe most influential scientists in history. His research on the magnetic field around a conductorcarrying a direct current established the basis for the concept of the electromagneticfield in Physics. He also established that magnetism could affect rays of light and that there was anunderlying relationship between the two phenomena.
Hesimilarly discovered the Principle of Electromagnetic Induction,diamagnetism and the laws of Electrolysis.
His inventions of electro-magnetic rotarydevices formed the foundationof electric motor technology and it was largely due to his efforts thatelectricity became practical for use in technology.
As a Chemist, Faraday discovered Benzene,investigated the clathrate hydrate of Chlorine, invented an early form ofthe Bunsen burner and the system of Oxidation numbers, and popularisedterminology such as anode, cathode, electrode and ion.
He ultimately became the first and foremostFullerian Professor of Chemistry at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, whichwas a lifetime position.
His approach:
Michael Faraday was an excellentexperimentalist who conveyed his ideas in clear and simple language. Hismathematical abilities, however, did not extend as far as trigonometry or anybut the simplest Algebra.
James Clerk Maxwell took up the work of Faradayand other scientists and summarised it in a set of equations that is acceptedas the basis of all modern theories of electromagnetic phenomena.
OnFaraday’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 whomthe mathematicians of the future may derive valuable and fertile methods”. Faradaytwice refused to become the President of the Royal Society.
Positions held & recognition:
In 1838, he was elected a foreignmember of the royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and was one of eight foreignmembers elected to the French academy of sciences in 1844.
In 1848, due to the efforts made by thePrince 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, whichwas later called Faraday House & is now No. 37 Hampton Court road. Faradayretired in 1858 & began to live there.
In 1849, he was elected as Associatemember to the Royal Institute of the Netherlands, which two years later becamethe Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and he was subsequently madeforeign member.
His passing away & memorials:
He passed away on 25.08.1867 at the ageof 75 years.
A few years before he passed away, he turneddown an offer of burial at Westminster Abbey upon his death, nevertheless, amemorial plaque in his honour is placed there near Isaac Newton’s tomb.
A statue of Faraday stands in Savoy Place, London.
A memorialdedicated to him was unveiled in 1961 at the Elephant & Castle gyratorysystem, 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’selectrical engineering department is named “Faraday Wing”, a Hall at LoughboroughUniversity is named after him, an 8-storey building at the University of Edinburgh’sScience 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, unveiledin 1876, honours his memory.
In 2002, Faraday ranked 22 in the BBC’slist of 100 Greatest Britons, following a UK- wide vote.
His contributions to electromagnetic figuredin an episode of the American Science Documentary Series – “Cosmos: A SpacetimeOdyssey”.
The SI unit ofcapacitance is named in Faraday’s honour – the “Farad”.
Some of his writings and works on him by others:
- “Chemical Manipulation, Being Instructionsto Students in Chemistry” (1827)
- “Experimentalresearches in Electricity, vols. I and ii” (1839)
- “ExperimentalResearches in Chemistry and Physics” (1859)
- “ACourse of Six Lectures on the Chemical History of a Candle” (1861)
- “Onthe Various Forces in Nature” (1873) (Posthumously)
- A setof 8 volumes titled “Michael Faraday” was published in 1932-1936, as well as in2009
- “CuriosityPerfectly Satisfyed: Faraday’s Travels in Europe (1813-1815)” (1991)
- “TheCorrespondence of Michael Faraday – Volumes 1 to 4” (1991 - 1999)
- “MichaelFaraday’s Mental Exercises: An artisan Essay Circle in Regency London” (2008)
- “Course of six lectures on the variousforces of matter and their relations to each other” (1860)
- “The Liquefaction of Gases” (1896)
- “The letters of Faraday and Schoenbein1836-1862” (1899)
(The above Banknote is from thecollection of Jayant Biswas. Banknote scanned & uploaded & Postresearched 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"
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
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
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
British India Coinage:
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:
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)
British Coinage:
3) Transformation of the Two Shilling Coin (Florin) Coin into the UK Ten Pence
Commemorative British Coinage:
3) Coins commemorating London Olympics & Paralympics (2012)
6) 800th Anniversary of the Magna Carta - the Universal Guidepost to Liberty and Freedom
