“I’m not going to rule anything in or out other than the picture of Tom Jones, which won’t be on there, I’m afraid.”
As Rhys Phillips is set to become the first Welshman in history to have his signature appear on UK banknotes, he admits he would like to see his homeland represented on the currency.
But – even as the Bank of England’s newest chief cashier – he knows there are limits.
While he joked about the possibility of adding a Welsh dragon, daffodil or Sir Tom Jones to the new banknotes, he had to rule out the latter.
“I’m not sure how King Charles would feel about that, being replaced by Sir Tom.”
Phillips, who was born in Neath and grew up in Baglan, near Port Talbot, starts his new job on Monday.
The role dates back to 1964 and involves overseeing the design, production and distribution of banknotes, as well as efforts to prevent counterfeiting.
He said it was “an incredible honour” to take on the role and admitted he had been practising his signature, which will be on display for all to see on all UK bank notes as a mark of the Bank of England’s backing.
“You’ve got to get that one right. I think people wouldn’t let me forget it if I screwed it up.”
He has adapted his usual signature so it is clear and fits the space available, but was still deciding what pen to use for the occasion.
“I hope it’ll be somewhat grander than a biro,” he said.
