Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has unveiled the design of the new £10 note. The note is printed on polymer and is the first Bank of England banknote with a tactile feature to help blind and partially sighted users.
The £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 5 years in total – and stay in better condition during day to day use.
The new tactile feature on this note is a series of raised dots in the top left-hand corner and has been developed in conjunction with the RNIB. This is in addition to the elements already incorporated in Bank of England banknotes for vision impaired people; the tiered sizing, bold numerals, raised print and differing colour palettes.
The new £10 note will be issued on 14 September 2017 and the public will begin to see them in the following days and weeks as the notes leave cash centres around the country and enter general circulation. The public can continue to spend paper £10 notes as usual and these will be gradually withdrawn as they are banked by retailers and the public. Legal tender status of the paper £10 featuring Charles Darwin will be withdrawn in Spring 2018 with the exact date being announced at least three months in advance.
Security features on the new £10 note include:
- A see-through window featuring the Queen’s portrait
- Winchester Cathedral shown in gold foil on the front of the note and silver on the back.
- A quill at the side of the window which changes from purple to orange
- A hologram which contains the word ‘Ten’ 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 book-shaped copper foil patch which contains the letter JA
- 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.
Further details about The New £10 Note can be found on www.thenewten.co.uk
