Royal Bank asks children which women inspire them the most

Royal Bank of Scotland’s new £50 note enters circulation today at eight selected branches across the country.

The new note, the bank’s first polymer £50 and first new £50 in almost 30 years, features an illustration of Scottish women’s education pioneer Flora Stevenson, with an image of the protected Scottish Osprey on its reverse.

Available at selected branches in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Paisley and Ayr, from today, the note is the last of the bank’s ‘Fabric of Nature’ series, which began with the polymer £5 note in 2016.

With enhanced security features to help safeguard against fraud, the note, which is manufactured by DeLaRue, will last at least 2.5 times longer than its paper predecessor.

Introduced today, the new note will be available across the bank’s network within the next two weeks.

Commenting, Malcolm Buchanan, chair, Scotland Board, Royal Bank of Scotland, said:

"Royal Bank of Scotland has been issuing banknotes since 1727 and they play an important part in our 300 year history but we feel that the value is more than just the portrait and pictures printed on the notes. It is o commemoration that lives in people’s pockets and offer the chance to celebrate and remember those who have helped shape our society and the communities that the Bank serves.

"Flora Stevenson’s legacy touches many aspects of Scottish life that our nation can be proud of: education, commitment, dedication and creating opportunity.

"Throughout our long history Royal Bank of Scotland has embraced new technologies to improve how we serve our customers but our bank notes have remained an important part of our everyday life throughout that time. Our new polymer £50, like all of our FON series, will continue to play that role for years to come.”

To celebrate its introduction, the bank is hosting a fortnight of activity across its online and social media channels, telling the story of its notes and focusing on the women who have helped shaped Scottish history. This reflects the women who now feature on all of Royal Bank’s polymer notes. The social media campaign begins with a series of interviews with local children telling the public the women who have inspired them the most. You can watch them below: 

£50 note launch - Freya

£50 note launch - Asha-Kate

On Wednesday, August 18, the bank is hosting its own performance for the Edinburgh Festival. Outside its offices on George Street, Edinburgh, it is beaming an interactive ‘selfie’ projection which will see the note come to life, with Flora appearing to tell her own story while the ospreys take flight.

The activity alludes to the bank’s first experiential interactive work when it launched its first polymer £5 note in 2016 where the mackerel on the back of the note came to life when scanned using the Blippar app.