Letter to the Bank of England (02-Mar-1994)

2nd March, 1994.

The Chief Cashier,
The Bank of England,
Threadneedle Street,
London. EC2R 8AH.

Dear Mr(s) Kentfield,

The Friends of Charles Darwin

We are a small group of friends whose aim is to try to ensure that Charles Darwin, the second most famous scientist this nation has ever produced, receives the recognition he deserves. One of our hopes is to see Charles Darwin depicted on a British bank note.

We thoroughly applaud the Bank of England’s move in recent years to depict great British scientists on the reverse side of new notes, but feel that there is a glaring omission from their ranks, viz. Mr. Darwin. Whilst we realise that Charles Darwin might be seen as a controversial figure to be depicted on national currency, we do feel that his presence would be far easier to justify than that of George Stephenson (who was, after all, a relatively minor figure by comparison). We also feel that, if he were to be pictured in his later years, Mr. Darwin would add some much-needed dignity to the family of British bank notes.

Is it at all likely that Charles Darwin’s face might one day adorn the back of a crisp, new note? Do you think we could add weight to the argument if we were to arrange a petition? We should be extremely grateful for any advice or, indeed, good news that you might be able to give us.

Thanking you for your time.

Yours sincerely,
[Friends of Charles Darwin]