Just over one billion polymer £10 notes have been printed ready for issue, and you will begin to see them in the following days and weeks as the notes leave cash centres around the country and enter general circulation.
Find out more about the new £10 note at www.thenewten.co.uk.
The new Jane Austen £10 joins the Churchill £5 in the first series of polymer Bank of England banknotes. A new £20 note featuring J.M.W Turner will follow in 2020.
Commenting on the introduction of the new £10 note, the Governor said: ‘Our banknotes serve as repositories of the country’s collective memory, promoting awareness of the United Kingdom’s glorious history and highlighting the contributions of its greatest citizens. The new £10 note celebrates Jane Austen’s work. Austen’s novels have a universal appeal and speak as powerfully today as they did when they were first published.
The new £10 will be printed on polymer, making it safer, stronger and cleaner. The note will also include a new tactile feature on the £10 to help the visually impaired, ensuring the nation’s money is as inclusive as possible.’
The new £10 note contains sophisticated security features which make it very difficult to counterfeit. It is expected to last at least 2.5 times longer than the current paper £10 notes – around five years – and stay in better condition during day-to-day use.
The series of raised dots in the top left-hand corner helps blind and partially sighted users to identify the denomination of the note. This tactile feature is in addition to the elements already incorporated in Bank of England banknotes for vision impaired users: the tiered sizing, bold numerals, raised print and differing colour palettes.
Victoria Cleland, the Bank’s Chief Cashier, said: ‘Today is an exciting day. It is wonderful to see the inspirational author Jane Austen celebrated on the new £10, and even more poignant being launched during the 200th anniversary of her death. I am grateful to the cash industry for their support in bringing the cleaner, safer, stronger notes to the public.’
Paper £10 notes featuring Charles Darwin will be gradually withdrawn from circulation as they are banked by retailers and businesses. You should continue to spend paper £10 notes as usual until legal tender status is withdrawn in spring 2018. The exact withdrawal date will be announced at least three months in advance.
Press release