‘Show us the colour of your money’ for security reasons only

The new £20 note will retain the iconic image of The Old Bushmills Distillery, in County Antrim, the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery.

The note will also include enhanced security features, including a holographic stripe, a clear window which can be seen from both the front and back of the note and the colour changing feature.

In addition to security elements, the £20 polymer note will incorporate a tactile feature with three arrangements of four dots in a square formation, enabling physical identification for the visually impaired.

The £20 polymer note features Bank of Ireland Group Chief Executive Officer Francesca McDonagh as the signatory.

Ian Sheppard, Managing Director NI, Bank of Ireland UK, said: “As the largest issuer of banknotes in Northern Ireland, the unveiling of our new £20 polymer banknote is an important milestone in our history.

“Bank of Ireland UK remains at the forefront of banknote design technology and we have committed to polymer notes because they are cleaner, more durable, more environmentally friendly and, with enhanced features, they are more secure than ever before.

“When we released our £5 and £10 polymer banknotes last year, it was the single biggest change to our banknotes in Northern Ireland in living memory.

“Our switch from paper to polymer for our £5, £10 and £20 notes is an example of our innovation and commitment to meeting the evolving needs of consumers.”