Posts Tagged ‘Churchill’
Everything you need to know about the new polymer £5 note
Which banknotes are changing, and when? 
The Bank of England is issuing a new Polymer (or plastic) £5 note which will enter circulation on 13 September, 2016. You’ll start to see the notes in the following days and weeks. Around 5,200 ATM’s dispense £5 notes and most are expected to switch to dispensing the new notes within the first month.
There will also be a new £10 note in Summer 2017, and a new £20 note by 2020. The current £50 note was issued in 2011 and there are currently no plans to replace it in the near future.
How will the new banknotes change?
The new £5, £10 and £20 notes will be printed on Polymer – a thin and flexible plastic material. This means that the new notes will be cleaner, safer and stronger than paper notes.
They will also feature added security features. The five pound note will feature:
- A large see-through window containing an image of the queen and a foil Elizabeth Tower.
- The Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) is gold on the front and silver on the back.
- The silver foil patch at the bottom of the tower has a hologram of the word ‘Five’ changing to the word ‘Pounds’.
- The silver foil patch at the top of the tower has an image of the coronation crown which appears 3D.
- Under ultra-violet light, the number 5 appears in bright red and green.
What size will the new banknotes be?
The new notes will be around 15% smaller than the current paper notes but will retain the traditional look of the existing notes, with a portrait of Her Majesty the Queen on the front, and a historic character on the back. The existing format of tiered sizing will be maintained, i.e. the higher the denomination, the longer the height and the length of the note.
Which historic characters will appear on the new banknotes?
The Polymer five pound note will feature Sir Winston Churchill, the ten pound note will feature Jane Austen and the twenty pound note will feature J.M.W. Turner.
What will happen to my old paper banknotes?
The paper notes will start to be withdrawn from circulation as the polymer notes are introduced. It is expected that by January 2017 more than half the £5 notes in circulation will have been switched for polymer notes.
You can continue to use the paper £5 note until legal tender status is withdrawn in May 2017.
What happens if I still have old notes after legal tender status has been withdrawn?
All Bank of England notes retain their face value for all time. If your bank, building society or Post Office is not willing to accept these notes then they can be exchanged with the Bank of England in London by post or in person.
Will I be able to use the polymer banknotes in the same way as paper?
Yes. Polymer notes can be used in the same way as paper notes. For example, they will be available from ATM’s and can be folded in a wallet. Brand new polymer notes can sometimes stick together, but this effect is short-lived once in use.
Why bother changing them?
The new notes are expected to last at least 2.5 times longer than the current paper notes. In 2015 21,835 notes were replaced due to damage from being torn, washed, contaminated, damaged and even chewed and eaten!
The new polymer material is resistant to dirt and moisture which means they will stay in a better condition for longer. Plus, when a polymer note reaches the end of its life, it will be recycled.
Will they be collectable?
Like any new issues, collectors will be keen to own the very first notes. Early serial numbers are likely to be more sought after – especially on good condition or uncirculated notes.
Mark the moment the £5 banknote changed forever…
Just 5,000 new UK Polymer £5 Notes have been reserved for a Limited Edition DateStamp™ release.
Click here to add one to your collection.
Churchill – the only statesman commemorated on THREE British Crowns
On the morning of 24 January 1965, the tolling of St Paul’s Cathedral’s state bell ‘Great Tom’ signalled to a grieving nation that a great man was gone. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill died at the age of 90.
Churchill became the first non-Royal to be portrayed on a British coin following his death in 1965
Since his death, Churchill has become a prominent figure in numismatic history and is the only person outside of the Royal family to be commemorated on a Crown coin on no less than three separate occasions.
In 1965, a whole nation mourned the loss of the politician, writer, orator and the man who exemplified the Allies’ stance against the Nazi threat in the Second World War.
Buried in a country churchyard near Blenheim Palace where he was born, the Queen had attended Churchill’s state funeral in London, the first afforded to a commoner in more than a century.
Churchill was portrayed on this coin during the build up to London 2012 to represent courage.
To celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Royal Mint issued this limited edition £5 coin. Featuring an instantly recognisable portrait of the great man, the coin was issued during Britain’s build up to the London Olympic and Paralympic games to capture the spirit of pride in our nation.
Churchill was a man of many talents and was renowned throughout the world as a great statesman. Educated at Harrow School and Sandhurst Military Academy, his military service included Malakand and the Nile. During the Boer war, as a war journalist, he was captured but escaped.
Sir Winston Churchill died on 24th January 1965
He was Prime Minister and held various important positions including Colonial Under-Secretary, President of the Board of Trade, Home Secretary, Minister of Munitions, Secretary of State for War and Air, Chancellor of the Exchequer, and remained as a back bencher after 1955.
He was a talented painter and author of a number of important books, including “History of the English Speaking Peoples” in four volumes. His love of good cigars, vintage wines and fine brandy has become legendary. He never exercised and referred to his periods of severe depression as his ‘black dog’.
But his world vision, his charisma and his qualities of leadership are acknowledged to have helped to ensure that Britain survived the Second World War.
Issued to commemorate 50 years since the death of the legendary statesman.
In 2015, a half-century after the death of Winston Churchill, this £5 coin was issued to honour a man who holds an unrivaled place in history.
Featuring the engraved portrait of Winston Churchill by Mark Richards FRBS, who wanted to convey Churchill as larger than life by creating an image larger than the coin itself.
A tribute to Winston Churchill
This Churchill crown has become one of the most famous British coins of the last century and is available to add to your collection now.
Which new 2015 coin is your favourite? VOTE NOW…
The new coins for 2015 have been revealed by The Royal Mint, but what do you think about the designs? Vote for your favourite in our poll below.
2015 Battle of Britain 50p
- Battle of Britain 50p
Next year’s 50p commemorating the Battle of Britain features three men rushing to their grounded aircraft, while a multitude of aircraft swarm in the skies ahead. The designer Gary Breeze wanted to convey the sense of danger which was posed at the time, and drew from his Grandfather’s own experience of the German bombers.
2015 Magna Carta £2
- Magna Carta £2
John Bergdahl’s Magna Carta £2 design has a prominent medieval style and is very reminiscent of coins of that era. King John features at the centre, clutching the Magna Carta and a quill, with the anniversary and dates appearing around the outside.
2015 Royal Navy £2
- Royal Navy £2
The second design in the First World War £2 commemorative series focuses on the Royal Navy’s role. The reverse design for the new 2015 coin by David Rowlands features the imposing image of a battleship from the era approaching on the open sea.
- Waterloo £5
2015 Battle of Waterloo £5
The new Waterloo £5 features a design by David Lawrence depicting the relationship between Wellington and Blücher which proved to be so important to the eventual allied victory against Napoleon. In a very detailed and intricate design, both men are shaking hands while on horseback, with the scene of the famous battlefield in the background.
- Churchill £5
2015 Winston Churchill £5
Churchill’s death in 1965 led to him becoming the first person outside of the Royal Family to be honoured on a coin. That coin was the 1965 crown, and this new £5 coin 50 years on bears some similarities to the original design, with Churchill’s recognisable face featuring very prominently.
2015 will be a vintage year for UK coins and there are certainly some interesting themes being commemorated. But which of these five new designs is your favourite? Vote in our poll here;