Now the excitement for the new fiver has died down, the Bank of England are treating us to the new high-tech tenner adorned with the face of literary legend Jane Austen.
Like the fiver, the ten pound note will be made of plastic polymer with a silver foil patch which changes from ‘Ten’ to ‘Pounds’ when tilted, as well as a host of other security features.
Under a good quality ultra-violet light, the number 10 appears in bright red and green while the background remains dull on the front.
Here’s a video of all the main features…
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On the back of the note, immediately behind the silver crown on the front, there is a book-shaped copper foil patch which contains the letters ‘JA’.
To make the tender more usable for blind or partially-sighted people, there are clusters of raised dots. These will appear on the 10 and 20 pound notes, while the five pound note is the only one which will not have this feature.
Speaking at the unveiling, Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney said:
The new £10 joins the £5 in being printed on polymer, rather than paper. Polymer marks a major innovation. It is cleaner, safer and stronger. Resistant to dirt, moisture and curry.
This added strength means notes will remain in good condition for longer, with a lifespan at least two and a half times that of paper notes. When they do reach the end of their useful lives, polymer notes will be recycled. As a result, the costs of producing notes – both economic and environmental – are lower.
£10 would have meant a lot to Jane Austen – about the same as £1,000 would to us today. £10 was half the annual allowance she received from her father while he was alive. A £10 note may also have had a symbolic meaning to her, as it was the amount she was paid by publishers Crosby and Co. for her first novel, Susan.
Though it’ll be sad to see Charles Darwin go, British novelist Austen is an excellent replacement.
The note will go into circulation on September 14, but you can continue to use the old notes until they go out of circulation in spring 2018.
