New £5: Countdown to the Launch of the Churchill Note
- Written by: Gary Howes
-
The note features the UK's famous war-time leader Winston Churchill and boasts advanced security features.
"It is stronger than paper and can better withstand being repeatedly folded into wallets or scrunched up inside pockets. Polymer notes can survive a splash of Claret, a flick of cigar ash, the nip of a bulldog, and even a spin in the washing machine afterwards to boot," said Governor Mark Carney at Blenheim Palace, Churchill's birthplace.
Governor Carney is not new to such events as he launched Canada's first polymer bank notes back in 2011.
Watch: This is the new £5 note:
From September 13 paper £5 notes will be gradually withdrawn from circulation as they are banked by retailers and businesses.
Paper £5 notes can be spent as usual until May 2017, after which they will cease to be legal tender.
The new polymer £10 featuring Jane Austen will enter circulation in summer 2017, followed by the J.M.W. Turner £20 note by 2020.
Security Features:
- A see-through window featuring the Queen’s portrait. The border of the window changes from purple to green.
- The Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) shown in gold foil on the front of the note and silver on the back.
- A hologram which contains the word ‘Five’ and changes to ‘Pounds’ when the note is tilted.
- A hologram of the coronation crown which appears 3D and multi-coloured when the note is tilted.
- A green foil hologram of the maze at Blenheim Palace, Churchill’s birthplace and ancestral home.
- Micro-lettering beneath the Queen’s portrait with tiny letters and numbers that are visible under a microscope.
- The words ‘Bank of England’ printed in intaglio (raised ink) along the top of the note.
