There’s less than a month to go until the Bank of England starts issuing the new-style £5 note on 13th September.
This will be followed by a new £10 note in summer 2017 and new £20 note by 2020.
The new notes are printed on polymer – plastic to you and me – which is cleaner, safer and stronger than paper, and a godsend to anyone who’s ever put one in the washing machine. New security features make them more difficult to counterfeit. They are also smaller than the current fiver.
Following the issue of the new £5 note on 13th September, by January, around half the paper £5 notes will have been replaced with polymer £5 notes. The paper £5 note will be withdrawn from circulation entirely in May 2017.
Victoria Cleland (pictured), the Chief Cashier highlighted the role of retailers in the introduction of the new notes, saying: “I would encourage them to understand how to use the sophisticated new security features that deliver a leap forward in counterfeit resilience.”
With that in mind, if you think you’re holding a fake fiver then:
- Check the see-through window and the clearly defined portrait of the Queen
- Check the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) is gold on the front and silver on the back
- Check the foil patch changes from ’Five’ to ‘Pounds’
- Check the coronation crown appears 3D
- Check the ultra-violet feature
A short video demonstrating these features can be viewed on SLR’s Shopflix site.
