The Department of the Treasury has released the first images of the Bank Of England’s new £5 note.
The new fiver features the face of war-time prime minister Sir Winston Churchill on one side, with the Queen’s image on the reverse.
It will come into circulation in September, and is being printed on polymer, a thin, plastic film. This means that it’s water-resistant and can be wiped clean.
The new polymer £5 note has been unveiled by @bankofengland: #TheNewFiver is coming on 13 September.https://t.co/1n6cO1Rc49
— HM Treasury (@hmtreasury) June 2, 2016
Sir Winston’s face is to replace that of prison reformer Elizabeth Fry, who had been depicted on the note since 2001. A new £10 note is due next year, bearing the face of novelist Jane Austen.
Sky News reports that there will be first print-run of 440 million notes released into circulation.
https://twitter.com/bankofengland/status/738358603388702720
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said of the new note:
“Our banknotes are testaments to the outstanding achievements of the nation’s greatest individuals. They are repositories of the United Kingdom’s collective memory.
“That contribution will continue with the new £5, which brings together the future, in the form of polymer and the most advanced security features yet, and Britain’s glorious history, in the achievements of Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill.”
Cheers to the BBC for this explainer video:
