Banknotes in the UK go all the way back to 1696, when the Bank of Scotland decided to release the first banknotes.
Down the year, the banks have seen a lot of change, including the union between England and Scotland and the prohibition of any notes under the value of £5.
Currently, the world awaits who will be the next face of the £20 note. Although the Queen is featured on the banknote, Adam Smith is pictured on the reverse side.
While the various historical figures featured on banknotes are constantly changing, this will be the first time that the Bank of England has invited members of the British public to nominate people.
The public has until July 19th to submit their nominations via the website, and then the next person to be pictured on the £20 note will be chosen. The decision will be made in early 2016.
Who Could Be Featured Next on the £20 Note?
William Blake seems to be the current favourite, and has been given evens from PaddyPower, a popular bookmaker.
Blake did not receive much recognition during his lifetime, but made huge contributions to the world of poetry and painting.
While he has received much fame posthumously, many people agree that being pictured on the £20 note would be a brilliant way to honour William Blake, almost 200 years after his death.
John Mallord William Turner, also referred to as JMW Turner, is one of the most famous English artists ever to be born.
His paintings and works are displayed in museums up and down the country, and with odds of 4/1 on PaddyPower, it looks like we could be seeing him on our banknotes very soon.
Born in Suffolk, John Constable’s works can be seen up and down Britain and also in various other countries. He died in 1837, but still continues to have a large fan base worldwide.
With paintings mainly consisting of romantic landscapes, he sits in third place on PaddyPower with odds of 6/1.
While the list mainly consists of male artists, Barbara Heppleworth has made her way onto the list, with odds of 10/1.
Born in 1903 and dying in 1975, she is one of the more modern figures who could be featured on the banknote. Heppleworth made significant contributions to the world of art during her lifetime, becoming one of very few women to do so.
Other names on the list include Joshua Reynolds with odds of 20/1 and Lucien Freud with 33/1.
Thousands of people have signed a petition to get celebrity cook Ainsley Harriot’s face onto the £20 note; however, the odds of 500/1 on PaddyPower suggest that he might not be so successful.
Placing a Bet on the Next Face of the £20 Note
Bets can be placed until 28th June 2015 at 10pm.
The bet will apply only to the person who is selected to feature on the £20 note after Adam Smith.