The new plastic £5 has now entered circulation though only a reported 7% of cash machines will be stocking them. Most banks and branches are to have the polymer note within a week’s time.
The plastic note, which is more durable than the paper note, features Winston Churchill and is 15% smaller than the previous note, can “better withstand being repeatedly folded into wallets or scrunched up inside pockets, and can also survive a spin in the washing machine” according to the Bank of England governor, Mark Carney.
The new £5 is also harder to counterfeit due to new security features such as a transport window.
Plastic notes have already been in circulation in Scotland since March 2015. Northern Ireland got their hands on some back as early as 1999.
Next year will see a new plastic £10 that features renowned British author, Jane Austen. By 2020, it is expected a £20 featuring the artist J.M.W Turner will be in circulation.
