Agreed. Good luck spending one though. Last time I was over two shops refused to take a 50 off me claiming it could be a fake. I had to leave it with my mate to get it changed at the bank.
I think there's an irony here. Alan Turing was understated and tried his best to stay out of the public eye. In spite of his massive achievements. He will be appear on a bank note that hardly anyone ever sees. I'm 34 years old and to this date have never seen a £50 note.
His accolades speak for themselves. Also the first gay man to be put one one of our bank notes, so another sign of moving with the times.
Alan Turing came top of a recent BBC poll to nominate the greatest icon of the 20th Century. Others in the running were Mandela, Bowie, Martin Luther KIng, Picasso. His coming top may well have influenced those who made the decision about the 50 pound note. Because of his sexuality he was treated appallingly by the establishment - despite this he made an invaluable contribution to the defence of this country during WW2 and he is now regarded as the 'father of computing' He committed suicide in 1954 aged 41. I can't think of anyone more deserving to be 'the face of the 50 pound note.'
Yes what is it with us englander's and the 50£ note. My parents live in a tiny village at the top of a mountain in rural greece yet i can buy a pint of milk there with a 50€ note and no-one batters an eye-lid. My dad bought a car for 9,000€ and was aked to pay for it with nine 1,000€ notes.
The only people who pay me in £50 notes are Africans. It is ridiculous that people are scared to take them. US dollar Bill's are a lot easier to forge and no one bats an eyelid at taking $100 bill.
Never been a €1000 note according to the European central bank so these could be worth more to the collector.. https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/banknotes/denominations/html/index.en.html#es1-005 The reason is that most high denomination notes are used either by criminals or tax evaders - . plus the cost of producing them is low for forgers - so there is greater motivation for them to be counterfeit. A study of Canadian high value currency showed that there were thirteen $100 notes in circulation for every citizen - yet the average citizen had only $56 in cash in their wallet. So where's all the cash. In 2010 the serious crime agency linked 90% of all €500 notes to be in the hands of organised crime - €6million Euro could be in a brief case and off to Columbia before you knew it. So there is an inherent mistrust of the money itself or the people giving to you or both. However if you want 9 €1000 notes for your car- I've got some on the photocopier.
If I ever get one I'll take it straight to the bank. I don't want people thinking I'm mixing with Colombian drug cartel's