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Bank of Scotland new polymer note enters circulation today


1 July 2021

  • New £50 polymer note, revealed in April, features much-loved mythical Kelpies, reflecting their place in Scottish folklore.
  • Sought-after collectors’ notes raise £250,070 for Mental Health UK  


Bank of Scotland’s new polymer £50 note enters circulation today (1st July 2021), following an auction which raised £250,070 for Mental Health UK.

The note, now red rather than the traditional green, is an evolution of the current ‘Bridge Series’ of notes and features an image of the world’s first (and only) rotating boat lift, the Falkirk Wheel. The Wheel is joined by an image of the shape-shifting water spirits, The Kelpies, and a poem – ‘Steam Barge’ - by William Muir. The front of the note portrays the Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott, alongside the image of The Mound in Edinburgh, as the previous £50 note did.

On the 30th June, Bank of Scotland auctioned a number of sought-after collectors’ notes and uncut sheets, which raised £250,070 for Mental Health UK. Lots included notes with low, and specific, serial numbers – prized amongst collectors – alongside two uncut sheets. Two lucky bidders also placed successful bids for a note with a serial number of their choosing.

Philip Grant, Chairman of the Scottish Executive Committee, Bank of Scotland, said: “I am very proud to see Bank of Scotland’s new £50 note enter circulation, the latest in a series of bank notes displaying Scotland’s vast contribution to culture, engineering and much more. A fantastic £250,070 has also been raised for our charity of the year, Mental Health UK, through the auctioning of a number of sought-after new notes.”

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