William Shakespeare £20 note

The 1970 £20 note, designed by Harry Eccleston, was the first Bank of England note with a historical character on the back. It had a portrait of William Shakespeare (1564-1616) based on his memorial in Westminster Abbey.

The note shows a scene from Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet. The front of the note has a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, and a medallion that depicts St George killing a dragon.

This was the first £20 to use threaded banknote paper as a security feature to guard against counterfeiting. It was also first that was mainly purple in colour.