'Safer and stronger': New polymer £5 note ready to go for a spin
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'Safer and stronger': New polymer £5 note ready to go for a spin
The new plastic £5 note is beginning to enter circulation - and is designed to be safer and stronger. It can survive a spin in the washing machine and is harder to counterfeit, according to the Bank of England. The design of the polymer note features Sir Winston Churchill. It is the first plastic Bank of England note, though other polymer notes have been issued in Scotland. Each new note is expected to last around five years - two and a half times longer than current bills - because of the durability of the polymer material.
The New Fiver, made of polymer, will be cleaner, safer and stronger. Resistant to dirt and moisture, it will stay in good condition for longer. The new security features make it harder to counterfeit.
Bank of England governor Mark Carney
Bank of England governor Mark Carney said: "While the use of polymer means it can better withstand being repeatedly folded into wallets or scrunched up inside pockets and can also survive a spin in the washing machine." The Bank has said the new notes are as thin and flexible for folding as paper ones, though they can feel slippery. Like paper notes, they can stick together when brand new. While the polymer notes are expected to survive a spin in the washing machine, they are unlikely to survive the ironing board. That is because they begin to shrink and melt at temperatures above 120C. The first print-run of 440 million new fivers marks the start of the old notes' withdrawal by retailers and businesses. Some people may start to see the new note immediately at cash machines and bank counters but for others it may be a few weeks.
