New £10 note featuring Jane Austen set to be unveiled by Bank of England

Launched: A new polymer £10 note will be entering circulation in September
Getty Images
Jessica Morgan18 July 2017

A new £10 note made from plastic and featuring Jane Austen is set to be unveiled by the Bank of England.

The English novelist will be the only woman, aside from the Queen, to currently be featured on a bank note.

It comes after the old £5 note, which featured Elizabeth Fry, was gradually phased out and replaced with the new polymer fiver with a picture of Winston Churchill.

Around 100 million of the notes have already been printed but it will be another two months before they hit circulation.

The new notes, which can survive a spin in the washing machine, are made from polymer instead of paper and according to the Bank of England are cleaner, safer and stronger than the previous design.

English novelist Jane Austen.
Getty Images

Bank of England Governor Mr Carney said: “Jane Austen certainly merits a place in the select group of historical figures to appear on our bank notes.

“Her novels have an enduring and universal appeal, and she is recognised as one of the greatest writers in English literature.

Plastic: £5 notes were given the upgrade in 2016  (Dominic Lipinski/PA )
Dominic Lipinski/PA

“As Austen joins Adam Smith, Boulton and Watt, and Churchill, our notes will celebrate a diverse range of individuals who have contributed in a wide range of fields.”

The new design will be unveiled in Winchester on Tuesday, marking 200 years since the death of the author.

Alongside Austen’s portrait, the new note will also feature a quote from Pride and Prejudice when Miss Bingley says: “I declare after all there is no enjoyment but reading!”

The Bank of England faced backlash from vegans and vegetarians last year after it was discovered the bank notes were made from tallow, a rendered form of beef or mutton fat.

More than 136,000 people signed a petition on Change.org calling for the bank to stop using animal fat.

The Bank of England has so far refused but is planning to use palm oil for the new £20 note following criticism.

Once the new £10 note enters circulation in September this year, the paper note will gradually be phased out.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in