War hero Alan Turing to mark new £50 note

It seems the government has finally decided to honour the man, and rightly so. The Bank of England has announced that the new £50 note will feature the computer pioneer and codebreaker. It goes into circulation in 2021.

Alan Turing is one of our favourite war heroes. The man didn’t just stand against the storm that was the Second World War, he is also seen as an iconic LGBT hero. This move doesn’t just honour him, it also vindicates him.

Among Turing’s many contributions to the country was his code-cracking work, which helped the Allies kick Nazi arse in World War II. Without his efforts, the war could have ended up fairly differently – and not in a good way.

“Alan Turing was an outstanding mathematician whose work has had an enormous impact on how we live today,” said Bank of England governor Mark Carney after the announcement was made public.

Turing didn’t always get the recognition that he deserved while he was alive. In fact, in 2013, he was given a posthumous pardon for being convicted in 1952 when he was allegedly having an affair with a man, as a result of which he was chemically castrated. We sure have come a long way.

A photo of Turing that was taken by Elliott and Fry, and is part of the National Portrait Gallery’s collection, will be used for the new currency note.

There had been doubts about the continuation of the £50 note as, being the highest denomination, it is hardly ever used for regular purchases. It has even been referred to as the “currency of corrupt elites, of crime of all sorts and of tax evasion” by Peter Sands, former chief executive of Standard Chartered Bank. However, this announcement comes with the guarantee that the note is here to stay.

With more than 3.6 billion Bank of England notes in circulation, currency notes are the biggest platform through which the country can make a statement about its values. The decision to feature Turing on the new notes has been made to honour his memory and to acknowledge his dedication and hard work that helped the country in turmoil.