The Bank of England has revealed its latest banknote redesign. Featuring the Queen of England on one side, the reverse of the new £50 note (approximately worth $69) will feature the persecuted, gay mathematician and early computing pioneer, Alan Turing.
The note will enter circulation on June 23, which also marks Turing’s birthday.
Alan Turing is regarded by many as the father of modern computing. Born in 1912, he showed a prodigious talent for mathematics from a young age.
He worked as a codebreaker for the British during the Second World War and was instrumental in helping design a machine that helped decipher Nazi secret codes.
After the war, he went on to create a design for an Automatic Computing Engine (ACE) – regarded by many as the first digital computer model.
He was also gay and did not go to great lengths to hide the fact from friends and colleagues, despite it being illegal at the time.
In 1952, he was arrested and charged with gross indecency after admitting to a sexual relationship with a 19-year-old man. He was spared prison under the condition he allowed himself to be ‘chemically castrated’ with hormones.
Related: Rare artifact from queer history pops up after nearly 150 years… on Google
The so-called treatment proved traumatic. Not only did it cause Turing to grow breasts, but the chemicals also altered his thinking, making it hard for him to concentrate. Now deemed a ‘security risk’, he also faced continued harassment from police.
He took his own life in 1954, aged 41.
The Queen granted Turing a posthumous pardon in 2013. Turing’s life was told in the 2014 movie, The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Turing.
Although it was announced in 2019 that Turing would feature on the new £50 note, following suggestions and votes from the public, the actual design and date of distribution was unveiled this morning.
The new £50 note featuring Alan Turing is coming on 23 June 2021. Find out about its design and security features: https://t.co/nbOlU9kgCU #TheNew50 pic.twitter.com/FhPBJAVFP6
— Bank of England (@bankofengland) March 25, 2021
In a video unveiling the design, the actor Stephen Fry said the Turing banknote marks “another step in our nation’s long-overdue recognition of this very great man.”
Related: Benedict Cumberbatch thinks Alan Turing should be celebrated as a gay icon on banknotes
The Bank of England also marked the announcement by flying the rainbow flag over its headquarters in London. The £50 note will be the UK’s final banknote switch from paper to polymer (plastic), making the notes considerably more durable and hard to create forgeries.
Vince
Smart move and goes a long way for making up for the sins of the past.
Kieran
It’s sad more people in the US don’t know about Alan Turing and how he helped save England in WWII. Americans are probably more familiar with Jeffrey Dahmer than Alan Turing.
galileo
England has not been a country since 1707, the news must have arrived in the Americas by now surely?
Den
England IS a country. Britain is an area that consists of England and the country of Wales. … The United Kingdom (UK) is a country that is a union of the countries on the island of Great Britain, along with the country of Northern Ireland.
Not too bright, are you?
Mister P
This is awesome. It made me cry joyful tears
kevininbuffalo
A well deserved honor.
LegionKeign
I thought dame edna was Australian?
Fahd
Why can’t there be currency that honors non-Presidents in the United States? There was talk about Harriet Tubman being on a bill, but I think the former guy in the White House nixed it.Since its so integral to daily life, currency can educate and uplift – it’s the perfect place to honor a country’s social heroes – including prominent LGBT individuals – instead Americans are walking around with Andrew Jackson in their billfolds.
bluewindboy
Non-Presidents on US currency, like Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin?
Hdtex
@Fahd read a book.
curranz
Hi everyone, come here to meet for sex – xmeet.fun
Hdtex
@curranz gave me syphilis
The big sky
Sadly most shops will not except them. I have not seen one in years so again to little to late.
Josh447
What a very sad life. So glad he is now honored. Better late than never.
Tombear
He had more influence on winning WW2 than any man did!
Den
Were an acknowledged patriot or hero (living or dead) proved undeniably to have been gay, lesbian or trans he or she would be cancelled in a second. That is how backward people in the US overwhelmingly are.
How many historically important American men remain “confirmed bachelors?”