20 Dollars 1996, Bermuda
| in Krause book | Number: 43a |
| Years of issue: | 27.02.1996 |
| Edition: | |
| Signatures: | Chairman: Mr. Mansfield H. Brock Jr. (1993 - 1998) , Director: Mr. Leon E. Simmons |
| Serie: | Act 1969. 1992 - 1996 Issue |
| Specimen of: | 20.02.1989 |
| Material: | 100% raw cotton |
| Size (mm): | 140 х 68 |
| Printer: | TDLR (Thomas de la Rue & Company), London |
* All pictures marked 
are increased partially by magnifying glass, the remaining open in full size by clicking on the image.
** The word "Specimen" is present only on some of electronic pictures, in accordance with banknote images publication rules of appropriate banks.
Description
Watermark:
Thunnus. It is a genus of ocean-dwelling ray-finned bony fish from the Scombridae (Mackerel) family.
Security thread with printed BERMUDA.
Avers:
HM The Queen Elizabeth II. The photograph that was used of the Queen was taken in April 1975 by the late Reading-based photographer Peter Grugeon and later released for official use during the Silver Jubilee in 1977. It is one of the more popular images of The Queen. (Peter Symes).
Her Majesty is depicted wearing Grand Duchess Vladimir's tiara, Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee necklace, the Royal Family Orders of King George VI and George V and Queen Alexandra's Wedding Earrings.
The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara.
No tiara is complete without a fascinating backstory, and this one's even got a daring escape. Made by Bolin, it glittered at the Russian royal court on the head of Grand Duchess Vladimir until the revolution, when it was left behind as the family fled. A British agent and friend smuggled it out of Russia to rejoin the exiled Grand Duchess and her collection. After her death, the tiara was bought from her daughter by Queen Mary. It's worn often today by the Queen with pearl or emerald drops, or occasionally with no drops. The pearl drop option has been the most popular with the Queen in recent years, probably owing to her love of white gowns in the evening and accompanying white jewels.
To mark Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887, a committee of ladies was formed to raise money for a commemorative statue of Victoria’s late husband Prince Albert. The committee’s fundraising was quite successful, and they ended up raising far more than was required for the statue. An agreement was formed with the Queen that the excess should go to the St. Katherine’s Fund for Nurses. At the same time, some members of the committee decided that a portion of the funds should be used to purchase a necklace for the Queen - and this was also approved by Her Majesty.
The trouble was, the committee did not agree on the necklace. Some felt it would be wrong to spend the funds which had been previously devoted to charity on something else. Much discussion and debate ensued, as is described in depth in Hugh Roberts’ book The Queen’s Diamonds. (My favorite tidbit: Queen Victoria, angry that she wouldn’t get her promised necklace, shot down the prospect of a diamond badge commemorating the nursing fund by declaring she would “at once exchange it for another jewel”.
In the end, a compromise was reached and this necklace, made for £5000 (far less than the necklace originally proposed) from gold, diamonds, and pearls by Carrington & Co. was presented to Queen Victoria in 1888. It features a central quatrefoil diamond motif with a large pearl in the middle, topped by a crown and underlined with a drop pearl. The next four links in either direction are graduated trefoil motifs; the central piece and the six largest trefoils can also be worn as brooches.
She is also wearing Queen Alexandra’s Cluster Earrings. The wedding gift from the future King Edward VII to his bride, Alexandra of Denmark. Also known as Queen Alexandra's Cluster Earrings, these two button earrings have large pearls surrounded by diamonds - 10 larger stones each plus smaller filler stones to create a full diamond ring. Like the brooch, these passed to the Queen via Queen Mary. They're now worn primarily at evening functions.
Royal Family Orders.
King George IV started a practice in the British royal family which continues today: the awarding of family orders. These are diamond-set portraits of the monarch suspended from a silk bow (the color varying by reign), and they are today given to female royal family members of the sovereign's choosing as a personal gift.
Queen Elizabeth was first given her grandfather George V's order, set on pale blue silk.
Followed by her father George VI's, on pink silk, and she wears them both today. (A royal lady can wear all the family orders she has at once.) The orders are positioned on the left shoulder. They are worn for the most formal events, and can usually be seen on the Queen when she's at a tiara event.
In most renditions of this portrait, the Royal Family Order of King George VI is apparent below the left-hand shoulder of Her Majesty, while the uppermost portion of the Royal Family Order of King George V is apparent in only some renditions of the portrait. (Her majesty's Jewel Vault)
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis is centered, on background.
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, known colloquially as rose mallow, Chinese hibiscus, China rose and shoe flower, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to East Asia. By Bermuda guests mistakenly counted as endemic.
Lower, on the right side, is the Eastern Bluebird.
The Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) is a small thrush found in open woodlands, farmlands and orchards, and most recently can be spotted in suburban areas.
This species measures 16-21 cm. (6.3-8.3 in.) long, spans 25-32 cm. (9.8-12.6 in.) across the wings, and weighs 27-34 g. (0.95-1.20 oz.). Eastern bluebirds are found east of the Rockies, southern Canada to the Gulf states, and southeastern Arizona to Nicaragua.
Denominations in numerals are in all corners. In words in center.
Revers:
Centered are two men in the boat coming to the Somerset Bridge.
The Somerset Bridge. It is a small bridge in Bermuda. Connecting Somerset Island with the mainland in the western parish of Sandys, Somerset Bridge is reputedly the smallest working drawbridge in the world.
The original bridge was built in 1620, and much of its structure remains, although the bridge was largely rebuilt in the mid 20th century. The original bridge was cranked open by hand, whereas the current bridge consists of two cantilevered half-spans, separated by an 18-inch (46 cm) gap bridged by a thick timber panel. The entire width of the drawbridge measures 22 inches (56 cm.). The panel is removed whenever a yacht wishes to pass beneath the bridge, allowing the unstayed mast to pass through the gap. A captain must wait for a passer-by to assist in opening the drawbridge.
In top right corner is the view of Ely's Harboгr, Somerset Parish.
So-named after the one-local family Ely (historical name in Britain, for example Ely Cathedral in England, likely an English colonist who settled in Bermuda). The harbour, a definite tourist attraction, is the most picturesque, placid and protected water to the left as you cross Somerset Bridge onto Somerset Island from Main Island. It stretches in a jagged semi-circle from Wreck Road to Wreck Point to Heydon Bay. The two entrances are at Great Harbour's Mouth between Wreck Point and Bethell's Island and Little Harbour's Mouth between Johnson's Point and Wilson Place.
Be very wary, unless you know local waters well, about trying to go between Bethell's Island and Palm Island. Other islands include Bethell, Cathedral and Morgan's.
Explore the beaches at low water for best visibility. The marine scenery here is lovely, this area is one of Bermuda's loveliest, especially from in the harbour. Some areas have mangrove swamps. Or just spend the day sailing or using a boat such as a Boston Whaler. All areas are approachable by boat but some are privately owned, meaning you cannot land except with permission. But you can beach a rented boat up to the high water mark. Getting there by road from the airport takes about an hour using Bermuda's legal speed limit of 20 mph. (Bermuda online)
The Coat of arms of Bermuda is in top left corner.
The coat of arms of Bermuda depicts a red lion holding a shield that has a depiction of a wrecked ship upon it. The red lion is a symbol of England and alludes to Bermuda’s relationship with that country. The wrecked ship is the Sea Venture, the flagship of the Virginia Company. The ship was deliberately driven on to the reefs of Bermuda, by Admiral Sir George Somers, in 1609, to prevent it from foundering in a storm. All aboard survived, resulting in the settlement of the island. The Latin motto under the coat of arms, Quo Fata Ferunt, means “Whither the Fates Carry [Us]”.
Denominations in numerals are in lower left and top right corners. In words in lower right corner.
Comments:
Withdrawn from circulation 01.01.2014.
The De La Rue engraving, as well as reflecting the differences mentioned in Portrait 17a, also represents The Queen with a more cheerful aspect, achieving this through slight differences around Her eyes and lips.
Bradbury Wilkinson's version of this portrait has less shading on The Queen's neck just above Her necklace, than is apparent on the De La Rue engravings (Portrait 17b). There are other subtle variations to the second version, noticeably in the patterns on Her Majesty's dress.
If you find my work useful I will be grateful for any help in supporting the site.
-
PayPal
-
For users of European Union banking system