What does Rochester think should be the face of the British banknote?

KentOnline / KMTV

The Bank of England have asked for submissions and recommendations for new banknote themes ahead of a potential redesign.  Finn Macdiarmid reports.

Transcript

00:00What comes to mind when you think of Britain?

00:02The monarchy?

00:03Football?

00:04Maybe something else entirely?

00:05Well, the Bank of England want to know.

00:07They're asking for new submissions for redesigns of the British banknote.

00:12And they've come up with a few ideas.

00:13They say it could be a person of historical interest, it could be perhaps an iconic building,

00:17or even part of nature.

00:19Whatever the case, I've taken to Rochester High Street to ask people what they'd like

00:22to see as the face of British money.

00:25And here's the fun part.

00:26Since this is the Banknote of the Future, we're going to be using AI to bring people's ideas

00:30to life.

00:31Let's have a look at what they thought.

00:32What would you like to see on the Banknote of the Future?

00:35Something iconic and representative of history, like the Spitfire.

00:39Whereabouts would it be?

00:40Over Dover, the cliffs of Dover.

00:42I think the Short Brothers, because they're local to Kent, obviously from the Isle of Sheppee,

00:46and invented the first, or helped invent the first flight, so I think that's pretty astounding.

00:52I'd probably put the coats of arms of the counties around the UK.

00:57Brilliant.

00:58Any specific counties?

00:59Well, Kent, obviously, but all of them, if you could.

01:04I would say I quite like to see banknotes with different shapes of the counties on, because

01:10then they're individual.

01:11And then, you know, you go to different counties, you can collect a banknote from each one.

01:14So, like, I'm quite obsessed with the shape of the Kent.

01:17I was looking at it the other day, you know, it's quite funny how the lines are carved out

01:21in between different towns and whatnot, and one town can be literally divided.

01:25I think that's quite fun.

01:26I think I have a good idea.

01:27Brilliant.

01:28And tell me, what would you like to see if you could design the new British Banknote?

01:32Myself on it.

01:33Who would not want that?

01:35Brilliant.

01:36And tell me, how would that look?

01:37Tell me about the design.

01:38Are you off to the side looking into the distance?

01:39Oh, yes.

01:40It will be like, you know, looking to the side and looking very regal and very important,

01:45because I'm a very important person.

01:47Tell me, what would you like to see as your personal redesign of the British Banknote?

01:52The British Banknote?

01:53I think the £50 note needs to have Rossi on it.

01:56That's for sure.

01:58The big denomination, Rossi.

02:00Yes.

02:01But could any of these ideas actually be accepted?

02:04And what historically goes on a banknote?

02:06It was always the monarchy, even going back to Roman times.

02:09You'd always got, the head of the stake was always put onto it.

02:12And that way was to actually show that the actual item was of a good value in terms of

02:21metal, silver or gold.

02:23And you'll get, like, all the slave trade was based on Austrian tallers.

02:28And these tallers, because they were gold, they were effectively, they were, people trusted

02:35the metal content, the gold content of the coin.

02:38While the ideas Rochester had were inventive, I'm just not sure some would ever get to printing.

02:43A bottle of gin.

02:45Nice gin.

02:47Finn McDermid for KMTV in Rochester.

02:48Finn McDermid for KMTV in Rochester.

02:50Finn McDermid for KMTV in Rochester.

02:51Heider for KMTV in Rochester.

02:52Heider for KMTV in Rochester.

02:53Heider for KMTV in Rochester.

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