The new £10 note: Everything you need to know about the plastic tenner and when it will be unveiled
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On July 18 - on the 200th anniversary of her death - the new, plastic, Jane Austen £10 note will be formally unveiled.
The Bank of England announced their launch event will be at Winchester Cathedral, with members of the public able to book tickets free here.
Jane Austen died in Winchester in 1817 and is buried in the north aisle of the Cathedral. The new note "will recognise her universal appeal and enduring contribution to English literature", Winchester Cathedral said in a statement concerning the launch.
It will be the first time the public can see and interact with the new polymer note ahead of its September launch.
The new plastic £5 note sent collectors into a spin as they searched for special editions of the polymer bill - and history could well repeat in the autumn when the Jane Austen £10 hits cash machines across the country.
Collectors scrambled to pick up rare editions at the time - with low serial numbers selling for hundreds. The good news? We get to go through it all again soon as the plastic tenner is launched.
What we know about the plastic £10
(Photo: Reuters)
"The £10 paper banknote is the oldest Bank of England banknote design in circulation and therefore the security features require updating to take advantage of developments in technology," the Bank said in a recent paper.
Production of the new £10 polymer note began last August and the Bank has already printed more than 275 million notes, but they're not quite ready to launch yet.
The new note will be smaller than the current one - but larger than the new fiver. The size ratios will be the same as the ones between the old paper fiver and paper tenner.
It will be made of the same materials as the new five pound note too. And, yes, that means it will also have traces of animal fat in it.
The Bank of England has is currently looking into ways to make its new notes tallow-free. Saying it will "work closely with banknote polymer suppliers to determine what alternatives might be available".
But as hundreds of millions of them had already been printed, as things stand they will launch with tallow traces in them.
Banknote equipment manufactures have started to work adapting macines to fit the new tenner, and firms have started to place orders for key components, such as new ATM parts to accommodate the revised sized note.
The three Scottish issuing banks are also printing their next £10 notes on polymer - they will be released between September and October next year.
The Bank of England that we can expect the new polymer £10 note in September 2017.
After this, a new plastic £20 note will be released in 2020 - there are currently no plans to issue a plastic £50.
Finally! A woman!
(Photo: Birmingham Mail)
Jane Austen will feature on the upcoming polymer note, as confirmed by Bank of England governor Mark Carney at a 2013 press conference.
There are currently no women on the back of English banknotes, something that caused some controversy when Winston Churchill was announced as the featured figure on the new fiver.
Austen's presence on the new £10 note was one of the first things announced by Carney after taking up his position.
“Jane Austen certainly merits a place in the select group of historical figures to appear on our banknotes," the Bank of England governor said.
"Her novels have an enduring and universal appeal and she is recognised as one of the greatest writers in English literature.
"As Austen joins Adam Smith, Boulton and Watt, and in future, Churchill, our notes will celebrate a diverse range of individuals who have contributed in a wide range of fields.”
More features of the new £10 note
(Photo: Getty Images)
Features of the design on the reverse of the Jane Austen note will include:
The quote – “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!” from Pride and Prejudice (Miss Bingley, Chapter XI).
Portrait of Jane Austen. Commissioned by James Edward Austen Leigh (Jane Austen’s nephew) in 1870, adapted from an original sketch of Jane Austen drawn by her sister, Cassandra Austen.
An illustration of Miss Elizabeth Bennet undertaking “The examination of all the letters which Jane had written to her”– from a drawing by Isabel Bishop (1902-1988).
The image of Godmersham Park. Godmersham was home of Edward Austen Knight, Jane Austen's brother. Jane Austen visited the house often and it is believed that it was the inspiration for a number of her novels.
Jane Austen’s writing table – the central design in the background is inspired by the 12 sided writing table, and writing quills, used by Jane Austen at Chawton Cottage.
Not got a lucky fiver in your stash? Check our guide on the most valuable coins here.