UK sheds a few pounds

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Christopher L. Ingersoll
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  On June 30, the Bank of England will be withdrawing the older style 20-pound note featuring the portrait of Sir Edward Elgar as a legal tender.

Owners of the old bills can take them to any bank and have them swapped for the newer bills displaying the portrait of Adam Smith. After June 30, if a bank refuses to swap the bills, they can be taken to any Bank of England branch to be exchanged.

The withdrawal is in keeping with an ongoing effort to cut down on forgeries, as the newer bills contain more colors that can only be seen under ultra-violet light. The old bills will eventually be incinerated, leaving only the Adam Smith bill.