Turn the note over and focus on Her Majesty’s portrait in the clear window. On a real twenty, she’s rendered in silver foil and looks sharp, almost three-dimensional. Fakes often print the queen as a flat, smudgy blob—no disrespect to the monarchy, but she deserves better.
Tilt the note further, and you’ll see the “micro-lettering” along the top border. Use your phone’s camera zoom if your eyes feel tired. The tiny text should read “Bank of England” in crisp, perfect font. Counterfeiters rarely bother with this detail—they’re busy printing smoke, not craftsmanship.
Brits warned about fake £20 notes in circulation - here's how to spot a
The Ultraviolet (UV) Light Hack
Okay, this one feels a little spy-movie, but it’s ridiculously practical. Under a UV light (like the one in those club stamp machines), the £20 note glows in specific areas. The denomination in the corner turns bright red or orange, while the threads embedded in the plastic fluoresce a faint green. Fakes will either stay dark or glow like a rave gone wrong—all patchy and uneven.
No UV light? No problem. Use your phone’s flashlight and hover it behind the note’s edge. The embedded security thread (a thin, metallic strip running vertically) should be visible as a continuous line. Fakes often miss this, or the thread looks like a sticker ready to peel off.
