The new Jane Austen £10 polymer note enters into circulation today (Thursday, September 14).

A portrait of 18th-century author Jane Austen features on the new tenner. It was painted by her nephew after her death in 1817.

However, the portrait is based on an original sketch drawn by her sister Cassandra Austen.

You can continue to use the paper £10 note, featuring Charles Darwin, until it is withdrawn from circulation in Spring 2018.

Here is everything you need to know about the new tenner.

What is different about the polymer £10 note to the paper one?

The paper £10 note

The Bank of England unveiled the new tenner at an event in July on the 200th anniversary of the writer's death, it took place at Winchester Cathedral, where the famous author was buried.

The note is printed on polymer, and is the first Bank of England note with a 'tactile feature', which means it has been designed with a series of raised dots in the top left-hand corner to help blind and partially sighted people identify the value of it.

Just like the £5 note, which came into circulation in September 2016, the new tenner is also made of polymer. Not only is the material safer and cleaner than paper, it is also expected to last at least 2.5 times longer than the current paper £10 notes – around five years in total.

A quote from Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice features on the note, it reads: "I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!" (Miss Bingley, Chapter 11).

Why has Jane Austen been chosen as the face of it?

The Bank of England announced that Austen would feature on the note in July 2013. At the time, more than 35,000 people had signed a petition calling for a woman to be the face of the £10.

Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England said: "Jane Austen certainly merits a place in the select group of historical figures to appear on our banknotes.



Aside from the Queen, Austen is the only woman to be featured on a British bank note.

What are its security features?

Security features on the £10 note include:

  • A see-through window featuring the Queen's portrait.

Victoria Cleland, the bank’s chief cashier said: "The new £10 note marks the next exciting step in our introduction of cleaner, safer, stronger polymer banknotes, and I am grateful to the cash industry for their work towards a smooth transition. I am delighted that the Jane Austen £10 note incorporates an innovative tactile feature, which I hope will greatly benefit blind and partially sighted users."