Britain’s new £10 polymer note has entered circulation today. Over one billion of the notes have now been printed and issued, meaning we will begin to see them in our wallets and tills over the next few weeks.

The polymer note features raised dots in the top left corner, which have been included to help blind and partially sighted users to identify the value of the note.

The new note features Jane Austen and the change in design has also seen a change in handling and security measures. This rip-resistant note is around 15% smaller than the paper note and has a number of key security features.

Key Security Features

1. Queen’s portrait- there is a see-through window which features a clearly defined portrait of the Queen and the words ‘£10 Bank of England’ printed twice around the edge
2. Winchester Cathedral- a finely detailed image of Winchester Cathedral can be seen on a see-through window, the image is gold on the front of the note and silver on the back. In addition to this, when you tilt the note you will see a rainbow effect run throughout the design.
3. Pound symbol- a pound symbol can be seen on the see-through window below the image of Winchester Cathedral and appears silver on the front of the note and copper on the back.
4. Coloured quill- the quill changes colour from purple to orange when the note is tilted and this can be identified on both the front and the back.
5. Coronation crown- there is a silver foil patch in the top left corner of the note with an image of the coronation crown which appears to be three dimensional and when tilted displays a rainbow effect.
6. Book-shaped foil- on the back of the note there is a book-shaped copper foil patch which contain the initials JA.
7. Ten pounds- on the left had side of the note there is a silver foil patch which when tilted the word changes from ‘Ten’ to ‘Pounds’ with a multicoloured rainbow effect.
8. Raised print- if you run your finger across the note you should be able to feel areas of raised print including ‘Bank of England’ in the bottom right corner.
9. Microlettering- if you look below the Queen’s portrait on the note with a magnifying glass you will see the value of the note written in small numbers and letters.
10. Ultra-violet feature- using a good quality ultra-violet light you will be able to see the number 10 appears in bright red and green.
11. Print quality- the printed lines and colours on the note should be sharp and clear.

The paper note will cease to be legal tender in Spring 2018 and although an exact date has not been agreed, the withdrawal date will be announced three months in advance.

Checklist

• Make sure that you know which cash handling machines are being operated by your business. These machines include: self-service check-outs, ATMs, desktop counters, ticket machines and any other machines that weigh, count, sort, accept, dispense or recycle banknotes.
• Contact the manufacturer or supplier of your machines to discuss what adaptations will be required for issuance of the new £10 note, and when they will be available. For most machines, a software update will be needed.
• Aim to implement adaptations to your machines before any new note is issued.
• Train your staff. A range of materials to support staff training on issue and withdrawal are available at http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/Pages/educational.aspx.

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