Popular Culture and National Identity
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South African 10 rand
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Reserve Bank of India 500 rupee
While the aforementioned cultural heroes are associated
specifically with nationalist movements, cultural figures are appearing
more and more fi’equently on national currencies. A quick survey of
persons appearing on global currency reveals an equal frequency of
prominent doctors and scientists, suffragettes, writers (playwrights,
poets, journalists), opera singers, composers, painters, and so forth. The
Bank of England provides a range of examples: since 1970, the notes
have featured portraits of British historical figures. While it is no surprise
that Shakespeare was among the first “national” icons to appear, a more
complete look at the D note series reveals a wider range of figures: Sir
Isaac Newton, Florence Nightingale, Sir Christopher Wren, Charles
Dickens, Elizabeth Fry, Charles Darwin, Adam Smith, and Winston
Churchill are among them.'' The notes include quotes from the featured
figure’s works, pictures of their homes, and other illustrations connected
to their historical importance. The announcement of the reissue of
Churchill notes (which will enter circulation in 2016) to replace
Elizabeth Fry’s image — the only female currently represented on
British currency — caused a bit of stir last year. British citizens and
women’s groups lobbied to draw attention to the deficiency, and the
Bank of England scrambled to supply another important historical figure.
In July 2013, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney confirmed that
Jane Austen will appear on a forthcoming £10 banknote (replacing
Charles Darwin), saying that the authoress “certainly merits a place in
the select group of historical figures to appear on our banknotes. Her
novels have an enduring and universal appeal and she is recognized as
one of the great writers in English literature.”