The thread about Churchill's legacy reminded me of a thread I've intended to start for a while, and it's timely since the Bank of England has just unveiled the last of our new polymer banknotes. The new £50 note will feature mathematician Alan Turing. He joins painter J.M.W. Turner on the £20 note, author Jane Austen on the £10, and... Winston Churchill on the £5.
They replace steam engine pioneers Matthew Boulton and James Watt, jointly on the old £50, economist Adam Smith on the £20, scientist Charles Darwin on the £10, and philanthropist Elizabeth Fry on the £5. Older notes featured people such as architect Christopher Wren, nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale, Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare and the Duke of Wellington.
So there's been a mixture of eminent Britons in most fields, including several women. Turing will be (probably) the first gay person to feature on a banknote. So far, everyone featured has been white British. I note that in the United States proposals to replace Andrew Jackson on the 20-dollar bill with African American abolitionist Harriet Tubman have been controversial; shelved by Trump, they have now been revived by Biden.
Everyone featured on British banknotes to date has been dead for at least half a century before appearing, with the exception of the reigning monarch who features on the other side. The standard criteria governing the choice are that the Bank of England "looks at who has previously featured, to allow for a reflection of the diversity of society. It does not accept fictional characters, or anyone still living (with the exception of the reigning monarch), but instead aims for individuals that are both widely admired, and are considered to have made an important contribution to UK society and culture. The final criterion is that the individual has an easily recognisable portrait available for use."
So the question is: you are in charge of resigning your country's banknotes. If you are in the eurozone, you can either choose to redesign the euro, or imagine your country has left the euro and commissioned you to design the new Dutch Guilder (or whatever). If you are not a native of a particular country, but live there or have connections there, you may redesign that country's notes (I might work on the UK's, where I was born, Germany's, where I hold citizenship, and Japan's, where I have professional connections).
Whose portraits would you put on the banknotes? On which denominations would you put them, and why? What criteria would you apply to make the decision?
@teinosuke saidThis reminds me of an interesting thread you once started on the Hall of Fame for your country (as I recall, you set a series of rules which I was the only person who abided by 😉).
The thread about Churchill's legacy reminded me of a thread I've intended to start for a while, and it's timely since the Bank of England has just unveiled the last of our new polymer banknotes. The new £50 note will feature mathematician Alan Turing. He joins painter J.M.W. Turner on the £20 note, author Jane Austen on the £10, and... Winston Churchill on the £5.
They r ...[text shortened]... which denominations would you put them, and why? What criteria would you apply to make the decision?
As far as US banknotes, I think Washington and Lincoln are fine for the $1 and $5. I'd definitely replace Jackson. Grant and Hamilton could go either way. They're both deserving, but they've had their turns. If you want to replace them, I'm okay with that. I'd like to keep Franklin. So, let's say we have 3 open spots.
I would not specify any hard criteria, though I'd choose people who were breakthrough leaders, rather than people with excessive talent. A little diversity is not a bad idea.
Without going too much into my reasoning (I don't have a ton of time right now), I'll nominate Thurgood Marshall, Sandra Day O'Connor and Dwight Eisenhower. If you think two SCOTUS justices is pushing it, you can replace Marshall with MLK.
@teinosuke saidWhat would be your choices?
Whose portraits would you put on the banknotes? On which denominations would you put them, and why? What criteria would you apply to make the decision?
@sh76 saidSticking with Washington and Lincoln are good choices, IMO, although many complain about Washington being a slave owner. I get it but....
This reminds me of an interesting thread you once started on the Hall of Fame for your country (as I recall, you set a series of rules which I was the only person who abided by 😉).
As far as US banknotes, I think Washington and Lincoln are fine for the $1 and $5. I'd definitely replace Jackson. Grant and Hamilton could go either way. They're both deserving, but they've had t ...[text shortened]... wight Eisenhower. If you think two SCOTUS justices is pushing it, you can replace Marshall with MLK.
Anyway, back in the sixties the US had a postage stamp featuring Albert Einstein with
one of the great profile poses that he gave, and he had several. Very photographic guy. -------------
I also like the idea of Neil Armstrong being there, somewhere.
@earl-of-trumps saidEinstein is a good one, but it's hard to really claim him as an American. I'm not snobby, but people on American currency should probably be products of the US rather than people who moved here after they'd already accomplished the bulk of their lifetime accomplishments.
Sticking with Washington and Lincoln are good choices, IMO, although many complain about Washington being a slave owner. I get it but....
Anyway, back in the sixties the US had a postage stamp featuring Albert Einstein with
one of the great profile poses that he gave, and he had several. Very photographic guy. -------------
I also like the idea of Neil Armstrong being there, somewhere.
Not sure about Armstrong.
Awesome accomplishment? Sure. Great talent? Probably. Brave? Absolutely. But visionary? Thinker? Inspiring leader? Not really.
@sh76 saidExcellent choices. MLK is long overdue.
Without going too much into my reasoning (I don't have a ton of time right now), I'll nominate Thurgood Marshall, Sandra Day O'Connor and Dwight Eisenhower. If you think two SCOTUS justices is pushing it, you can replace Marshall with MLK.
Do banknotes have to have a figure born (or who lived in) the same nation they're printed in? I don't see we'd need such a limitation. If we could pick foreigners, I think Marie Curie would be a standout choice. Or at the very least, if I could be allowed to pick Poland or France's choices, I'd like her as option. I'd also like to see The Netherlands choose Anne Frank.
RGB definitely deserves a spot.
As for landmarks, maybe we could commemorate the Twin Towers.
If I could have fantasy picks...Bruce Lee and Mohammed Ali.
@vivify saidThanks.
Excellent choices. MLK is long overdue.
Do banknotes have to have a figure born (or who lived in) the same nation they're printed in? I don't see we'd need such a limitation. If we could pick foreigners, I think Marie Curie would be a standout choice. Or at the very least, if I could be allowed to pick Poland or France's choices, I'd like her as option. I'd also like to ...[text shortened]... we could commemorate the Twin Towers.
If I could have fantasy picks...Bruce Lee and Mohammed Ali.
O'Connor was the first female SCOTUS Justice and was every bit as erudite a jurist as RBG. So choosing RBG over SDO is really making a political judgment; i.e., you like her ideology better. That's fine; but I don't think commemorative decisions like this should be made solely based on political ideology.
My pick of Marshall was based both on his being the first AA SCOTUS Justice and also the attorney who successfully argued the most important civil rights case of all time (IMO) - Brown v. Board of Ed.
The post that was quoted here has been removedShakespeare is the most obvious choice, but I want to come up with people who haven't previously featured. Shakespeare was on the £20 note between 1970 and 1993.
I suspect Nelson was overlooked because Wellington, a commander in the same conflict, had featured.
I agree that (since most currencies only have four or five banknotes), it's hardly going to be practical to make them representative of wider demographics!
Why would you prefer to have no personal images on currency?
@sh76 saidThough I side much more frequently with Dems, I'm one in name only. I will gladly support a Republican if I think he's the best choice, like I did with Ron Paul, who I would've voted for over Obama had he won the primaries. This is why I have no problem trashing people like Biden or Hillary, even when they were the Dem's final choice to the win the election.
Thanks.
O'Connor was the first female SCOTUS Justice and was every bit as erudite a jurist as RBG. So choosing RBG over SDO is really making a political judgment; i.e., you like her ideology better. That's fine; but I don't think commemorative decisions like this should be made solely based on political ideology.
The reason why I said RBG is mainly because I was a kid for most of her tenure; I was in high school when Bush Jr. was elected. RBG. was around when I was an adult, and I have more of an attachment to RBG. Other than O'Connor's terrible Bush v. Gore decision, I agree she was a national treasure. (BTW, it's too easy to confuse RBG for RGB, especially after doing web design for a few years).
But honestly, you picked literally everyone I would have nominated to be a face on a banknote. Had you not posted, I would've picked mostly everyone you chose.
The post that was quoted here has been removedThanks for the information. I knew she was born in Germany but it seemed a bit tasteless to suggest Germany place her on their currency.
My wife went to the Anne Frank House in the Netherlands when we were dating. Said it was a really powerful experience.