Old paper £10 notes, featuring British naturalist Charles Darwin, went out of circulation across the UK on Thursday. They have been replaced by the new polymer version featuring British author Jane Austen introduced last year.

Starting today, anyone with the old banknote will need to deposit it at a bank as shops will refuse to accept them as they cease to be legal tender.

An estimated 211 million of the old notes remain in circulation, though most have been gradually replaced by the new, sturdier variety. The new notes, in circulation since September 2017, are also accompanied by a new set of 10 pence coins that celebrate the A to Z of British life — including C for cricket and Q for queuing.

Kevin Clancy, director of the Royal Mint Museum, said the new 10p collection is a departure from the standard way in which coins have celebrated what is great about Britain. “We have marked great events, celebrated engineers, politicians and royalty. This series really drills down into the heartland of what makes Britain British,” he said.

The Great British Coin Hunt app

Designs include a celebration of James Bond, as well as engravings showcasing Scotland’s fictional Loch Ness Monster, the iconic English post box, the world wide web, the National Health Service (NHS), and fish and chips. Would-be coin collectors wanting to discover the entire collection can download the Great British Coin Hunt app, which allows users to “scan” a picture of the coin to place it into a digital collectors’ folder. It also features a heatmap within the app that will show where the coins are located around the country.

A collectors’ folder and versions of the 10p coins not in circulation will also be available to purchase from the Royal Mint website.

A new polymer 20-pound note featuring British artist J.M.W. Turner is due to be issued by the Bank of England in 2020. There are no plans to replace the current 50-pound note, the last remaining paper note from the Bank of England, which was released in 2011.

Alternatives to polymer notes not viable

Controversy around the polymer containing traces of tallow, made from animal fat, had led to objections from vegetarian and religious groups in the UK last year.

The Bank of England launched a public consultation on the material following protests, including by Hindu groups — some of whom had briefly banned the new notes from UK temples.

However, the central bank’s report into the consultation concluded that alternatives to the polymer notes, such as palm oil, were not viable and also more expensive.

“The bank fully recognises the concerns raised by members of the public, both prior to and during the consultation... The bank has had to balance these responses against its other public duties and priorities as well as the other evidence gathered over the past months,” it announced in August 2017.

Polymer banknotes are used in more than 30 countries around the world. It emerged during the bank’s research that plastic containing animal fat is in widespread use in items such as debit and credit cards, mobile phones, cosmetics, soaps, household detergent bottles and car parts.

Related Topics