Most of the checks you do for a £50 note are the same as for others, though people are more likely to check these out of fears that they could be forged.

With any note, the paper is a bit different from ordinary paper and difficult to fake. It's a bit softer, more like cloth. Practise feeling some notes that you know are OK, so you can really feel the difference from normal paper.

Check the watermark. You can see the Queen's picture when you hold a banknote up to the light, but you should not be able to see it when the note is lying on a table, for instance.

You should also see a dark line on the paper when you hold the note to the light. This is the metal line, and one difference with £50 notes is that their line is on the front, while for other notes it is on the back.

If your note passes all these tests it's probably OK.