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20 Pounds - Elizabeth II Adam Smith, paper
| Issuer | Bank of England |
|---|---|
| Year | 2007-2018 |
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| Currency | Pound sterling (decimalized, 1971-date) |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Portrait of economist, philosopher and writer Adam Smith at left, rendered in intaglio against a multicolour underprint. A vignette of workers in a pin factory occupies the centre, illustrating the concept of the division of labour drawn from Smith's writings. |
| Reverse lettering | Twenty Pounds The division of labour in pin manufacturing: (and the great increase in the quantity of work that results) Bank of England Adam Smith 1723-1790 |
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| Comments |
Adam Smith appeared on Bank of England notes for the first time with this series — a notable choice given that Scotland's own Royal Bank had already been putting him on its £20 for years. The decision to bring him to the English issue came under Mervyn King's governorship, part of a broader push to feature figures from science, industry, and economic thought rather than limiting reverse selections to the arts.
The holographic foil strip on these notes proved a persistent headache in circulation — the Queen's head element within it was prone to delaminating with heavy use, which became a recognised authenticity trap for retailers checking worn examples.