Ulster Bank’s new £20 named one of the world’s best bank notes

The innovative note, whose design features flora and street musicians, was one of 100 new bank notes issued worldwide last year. Just 24 of these notes were then nominated by some 2,000 IBNS members from around the globe for consideration for the society’s prestigious awards.

Ulster Bank’s £20 note was then this week named third, behind Mexico’s new 100 Peso polymer bill, which was awarded first place, and Scotland’s Royal Bank of Scotland 20-pound which came second.

Designed to reflect local music and culture, each £20 note features street entertainers and their appreciative audience, as well as tiles, brickwork and patterns inspired by the province’s ubiquitous red-brick tenement buildings.

Other elements of the note are drawn from the ornate decoration found on and in famous public buildings, corporate architecture and domestic homes in Londonderry, Belfast and other cities in Northern Ireland.

The note also incorporates Londonderry’s much-loved Halloween celebrations in their security features – under a UV light, skeletons and Leisler’s bat, the largest type of bat in Ireland, can be seen.

Terry Robb, Ulster Bank’s head of Personal Banking, NI, said: “Not only does the polymer note feature advanced security measures, it’s also much more sustainable, easier to recycle and cleaner for consumers to use. But it’s the unique nature of the design which has caught the attention of the judges and what we are most proud of.

“Throughout the whole design process, we were keen that the new note would reflect part of our culture and heritage.”