Look: Print Quality
Lines should be sharp and well defined with no blurred edges. Colours should be clear and distinct.
Look: Transmission
As the note is a polymer there is no watermark, however due to the substrate used when the note is held up to the light you should be able to see visible images from the opposite side.
Look: See Through
There is a clear polymer window at the top of the note that runs horizontally when viewed from the front. The outline of Lough Neagh appears within the large transparent window which is overlapped by the Spark
® Orbital
™ image of the Ulster Bank logo.
Look: Microprint
Microprinting features in various locations throughout the note and some examples which you can see using a good quality magnifying glass are given here.
- The words: ‘ULSTER BANK LIMITED’ can be found running along the outside edge of the Hawthorn flowers.
- The number"20" appears repeatedly in the shaded sections in all 4 corners of the note.
Look: Serial Numbers
Each note has a unique serial number which is printed twice on the front of the note, horizontally across the top, reading right to left and vertically in the bottom left corner. Serial numbers for the £20 note consist of two letters followed by six numbers, both serial numbers will fluoresce under ultraviolet light.
Look: Denomination Numerals
The number ‘20’ accompanied by a £ appears in the top right and bottom left corners of the note.
Feel: Polymer Quality
The note should feel smoother than a paper note, though this will reduce over time. Like paper notes, polymer notes have raised print giving them a tactile quality.
Feel: Raised Print
On the front of the note you will feel raised print if you run your finger along:
- Ulster Bank name and logo
- All writing including signatures
- The Hawthorne flowers and butterfly image
- The pink band at the bottom of the note
Feel: Embossed Numeral
You will see a small number 20 embossed into the clear window. You can also feel this with your fingertips.
Feel: Tactile Feature
Three arrangements of four dots in square formation can be found in the top left corner of the note when held in portrait formation, this will enable physical identification for the visually impaired.
Tilt: Iridescence
IF you move the note around you will see the outline of a single Hawthorne flower with a cluster of smaller flowers above that shimmer in shiny coloured ink.
Tilt: Spark® Orbital™
The Ulster Bank logo set over the transparent polymer window is printed in shiny metallic ink which changes colour from purple to gold and can be seen from both sides of the note. You will also see an orbital effect as the note is tilted.
Check: Compare
Always compare both sides of a suspect note with another note that you know to be genuine, looking for differences between the two. Make sure you check the size of a suspect note against a known genuine note.
Check: UV Fluorescence
If you place the note under a good quality ULTRA-VIOLET light you will see a solid rectangular block below the Ulster Bank name and logo that will fluoresce. Within the block you will see the fireworks. The Hawthorne flowers and both serial numbers will also fluoresce.
Check: Gemini UV Printing
If you place the note under a good quality ULTRA-VIOLET light, you will see there are areas of the note that appear as a single colour in daylight but fluoresce as two separate colours under ultra-violet. An example of this is the Hawthorne flowers.
Look: Print Quality
Lines should be sharp and well defined with no blurred edges. Colours should be clear and distinct.
Look: Transmission
As the note is a polymer note there is no watermark, however due to the substrate used when the note is held up to the light you should be able to see visible images from the opposite side.
Look: See Through
There is a clear polymer window at the top of the note that runs horizontally when viewed from the back. The outline of Lough Neagh and the number ‘20’ in reverse appear within the window. The Spark
® Orbital
™ image of the Ulster Bank logo can be viewed through the window.
Look: Microprint
When examined closely with a good quality magnifying glass you will see the ‘20’ written repeatedly within the purple background areas at the top and bottom of the note.
Look: Denomination Numerals
The number ‘20’ accompanied by a £ sign appears in the centre left and right on the back of the note.
Feel: Polymer Quality
The note should feel smoother than a paper note, though this will reduce over time. Like paper notes, polymer notes have raised print giving them a tactile quality.
Feel: Raised Print
On the back of the note you will feel raised print if you run your finger along:
- The street entertainers and their audience
- The denomination numeral in the bottom left corner
- The Ulster Bank name and logo and all writing
Tilt: Spark® OrbitalTM
When the note is viewed from the back the Spark
® Orbital
TM can be viewed through the clear window.
Check: Compare
Always compare both sides of a suspect note with another note that you know to be genuine, looking for differences between the two. Make sure you check the size of a suspect note against a known genuine note.
Check: UV Fluorescence
If you place the note under a good quality ULTRA-VIOLET light you will see a geometric ‘20’, 4 Leisler's bats, 2 dancing skeletons, a pillar and tile that will all fluoresce.
