Jane Austen 'waiting in wings' to feature on UK banknotes

[Josquius]

Saying it in the mid 20th century- even at the time that wasn't acceptable let alone today.

Sure it was. Black people ranked only just above the Irish in those days. Of course, the gap is much bigger in these more enlightened times.

Churchill took it too far however.
The entire reason he was in the political wilderness in the 30s wasn't because he was the only one who knew the Nazis were bad news, as the simplistic mainstream view likes to paint him, but because he wouldn't stop being so mindnumbingly ignorant about the prospects of Indian independence, insisting it could never happen, despite the political concensus long since having recognised it was just a matter of hows and whens.

This isn't all to say he didn't have redeeming qualities of course. But the traditional image of him as some sort of godly uncontroversial figure...ugh.

[Viking]

Who would be a better choice that hasn't ruled the country?

Florence Nightingale.

She was on them quite recently.

I think Austen's a great choice, certainly better than Churchill.

You cannot be serious. Other than Atlee, there is no figure in 20th century Britain who holds a candle to Churchill.

I don't understand. What criteria are you making this assertion on?

[Razgovory]

He only knows the name of two British prime ministers.

[jimmy olsen]

Who would be a better choice that hasn't ruled the country?

Florence Nightingale.

She was on them quite recently.

I think Austen's a great choice, certainly better than Churchill.

You cannot be serious. Other than Atlee, there is no figure in 20th century Britain who holds a candle to Churchill.

I don't understand. What criteria are you making this assertion on?

He was the architect of the British postwar consensus. His service in the government during the war years, was also of great value.

[Richard Hakluyt]

Oh and do me a favour, when Boris becomes our next PM, please don't lecture me on the genius of the man. 

Boris is awesome.

I was within 20 feet of him this weekend, listening to him speak, not that impressive, charming, funny, but overall he's a chancer.

Streets ahead of Cameron, Clegg and Miliband then 

[Savonarola]

In the United States we don't usually think of ourselves as a unified culture.  I think that's why we put politicians on our coins rather than artists, discoverers or inventors.  My first trip to Europe was to France before the Euro.  It took me awhile to get used to bills like this:



(With Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.)  Today I think those are pretty cool; much more attractive than the Euro bills or the American bills. 

Jane Austen would be a good choice for Britain.  You could have a ball or a couple in a tête-à-têtes on the back. 

[Valmy]

I remember that bill.

The biggest shock was when I went to Spain and they had a bill with Hernando Cortez on one side and Francisco Pizarro on the other.  Now that was hilarious.  I would not have been more amazed than if France had a bill with Robespierre on one side and Cardinal Richelieu on the other.

[garbon]

In the United States we don't usually think of ourselves as a unified culture.  I think that's why we put politicians on our coins rather than artists, discoverers or inventors.

Would you say that's why? /Not sure then how that explains Susan B or Sacagawea though of course they were relegated to an unimportant coin.

[Valmy]

Also I am not sure what Sav was talking about.  Euros tend to put those people on their banknotes not coins which usually have the Monarch or some national symbol on them.

[Sheilbh]

Jane Austen would be a good choice for Britain.  You could have a ball or a couple in a tête-à-têtes on the back. 

I think they'll go like the Elgar £20, with the Royal Terrace in Bath instead of Worcester Cathedral:


The oddest is Bosnia were the two entities print separate lower denomination notes. So the 10 Mark can either have a Bosniak or a Bosnian-Serb poet, the 20 Mark is a Herzegovinan Croat poet, or a Bosnian Serb. Apparently the only note that's the same all over the country is the 200 Mark, which is a Bosnian Croat writer, who mostly worked in Sarajevo but died in Belgrade - safely covering all bases

I think the individuals and national symbols are always a nice touch with currency, it's why I quite like Euro coins but find the notes really sad.

[garbon]

I think they'll go like the Elgar £20, with the Royal Terrace in Bath instead of Worcester Cathedral

The Royal Crescent is my cover photo on facebook.

[grumbler]

Here's a clue, 'we' choose who goes on our banknotes not you guys....

Here's a clue: you have no more control over who goes on the banknotes than a typical American.  According to the article, it will be a Canadian who makes the decision, in fact.

[Richard Hakluyt]

"I think the individuals and national symbols are always a nice touch with currency, it's why I quite like Euro coins but find the notes really sad."

Yes, they are uninspiring.

What would be an improvement is if each nation had a turn for a particular note, subject to the ECB maintaining a unified look for the range of notes. So, for example, Greece gets the 5-euro note for a period and puts Socrates on it; meanwhile Slovenia gets the 10-euro and puts some poet we have never heard of on it........and so on and so forth. There could be relevant scenes or architecture as well 

The trouble is that there are only 7 denominations but 17 members (IIRC), so some countries would have to wait a while 

[Josquius]

Why can't they have a national side and an eu-wide side on the notes?
That would be best imo.