BoE to circulate new £50 note celebrating WW2 code breaker Alan Turing
A new £50 banknote celebrating mathematician Alan Turing, whose code-breaking skills helped Britain win WW2, will go into circulation in June.
The new £50 note features an image of Turing, some of his mathematical formulae and technical drawings for the machines used to break the Enigma code.
It also carries a quote by Turing about the rise of machine intelligence. “This is only a foretaste of what is to come, and only the shadow of what is going to be,” it reads.
“There’s something of the character of a nation in its money,” BoE Governor Andrew Bailey said in a statement on Thursday, which highlighted the breadth of Turing’s accomplishments.
“He was also gay and was treated appallingly as a result. By placing him on our new polymer 50-pound banknote, we are celebrating his achievements, and the values he symbolises.”
The head of GCHQ, Jeremy Fleming, said Turing’s image on the note was a landmark moment.
“His legacy is a reminder of the value of embracing all aspects of diversity, but also the work we still need to do to become truly inclusive,” Fleming said.
The £50 note is the BoE’s highest-value banknote and will enter circulation on 23 June, Turing’s birthday.