News Release
New Design £10
Banknotes
7 November 2000
As announced in October, the Bank of England’s new design £10 banknotes, which feature a portrait of the naturalist and scientist, Charles Darwin, will be introduced into circulation on Tuesday 7 November.
Merlyn Lowther, the Bank’s Chief Cashier, whose signature appears on the notes, said, “We have carried on to this new note the enhancements which were introduced with the new £20 note last year, and which have been very successful.”
“Anti-counterfeiting and cost effectiveness are the two key objectives of our banknote research work. Where appropriate we incorporate advances in these areas into our ongoing programme of banknote design.”
“The introduction of the new £10 banknote has been accompanied by an extensive publicity programme designed to ensure that the public will recognise the new banknote. Key outlets such as banks, building societies and post offices have been supplied with posters and leaflets, and media kits have been widely distributed to the main news media.”
Central to the new banknote’s appearance is the portrait of Charles Darwin and design features related to his life and work. These include an image of HMS Beagle, a hummingbird based on a type characteristically found in the region of the Galapagos Islands, stylised flowers and Darwin’s lever compressor lens, now preserved at Down House, Darwin’s home in Kent.
Enhanced security is an equally important aspect of the new £10 note.
The front of the note carries a foil hologram which changes image from Britannia to the number 10 when viewed from different angles. Below and to the left of the hologram a red and green fluorescent number 10 is visible under ultraviolet light. Under the portrait of HM The Queen micro-lettering is included. To the naked eye it appears to be a single line but through a magnifying glass the word, and number, ten, can be seen. These are security features which are not included on the current £10 note. They are similar to those which were introduced on the new £20 note, featuring Sir Edward Elgar, which was first issued last year.
Another security feature, the windowed metallic thread, is visible on the back of the note, as is also the case with the Elgar £20. On the £5 and £50 the thread appears on the front of the note. With all notes the thread appears as a solid black line when held up to the light. This new banknote also contains three other security features which are easily checked – the watermark, the feel of the paper and the print quality.
The new banknote is the same size (75mm x 142mm) and retains the same broad colour scheme as the current £10 which features Charles Dickens. The Dickens £10 was first issued on 29 April 1992.
Two versions of the new £10 note are being issued. They are identical in all respects save for a minor difference in the detail of the copyright text printed around the edge of the watermark on both sides of the banknote. Some notes carry the words ‘© The Governor and Company of the Bank of England’ (the usual wording) and others ‘© The Governor and the Company of the Bank of England’(ie they include an extra ‘the’). Both versions are equally valid - neither their legal tender status, nor the Bank’s copyright in the notes, is affected.
The average life of a £10 note is approximately 18–24 months. Until it is replaced through normal wastage the ‘Dickens £10’ will circulate alongside the new ‘Darwin £10’. At the end of February 2000 there were some 568 million £10 notes in circulation, compared with 209 million £5 notes, 659 million £20 notes and 84 million £50 notes.
The ‘Dickens £10’ will remain legal tender for some time after it is no longer actively circulated. However, regardless of their legal tender status all banknotes issued by the Bank of England remain payable ie can be exchanged for their face value, at the Bank of England.
Notes to Editors
1. Please note that the photographs accompanying this news release are under the same embargo as this release and carry additional reproduction conditions which are outlined on the label on the reverse of each photograph.
2. The actual banknotes carry the international copyright symbol (on both the front and back of the notes) which explicitly records the copyright which the Bank has in the design of all its notes, and completes the Bank’s protection of the copyright in all countries party to the Universal Copyright Convention.
3. The Bank’s Chief Cashier, Merlyn Lowther, has some time available on both 6 November (embargoed to 7th) and 7 November for interviews and additional photographs/filming at the Bank. Please contact the Bank’s Press Office on 0207 601 4411.
4. Copies of the full-colour leaflet and an accompanying poster, describing the new note, are available on request from the Bank of England (0207 601 4012). Some specialised material for the blind and partially sighted will be available, also through this number.
5. From mid-morning on Tuesday 7 November details of the banknote will also be carried on the Bank’s website: www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/
