New polymer £10 note featuring Jane Austen enters circulation

The Bank of England's new polymer £10 note featuring Jane Austen has been issued.

The new note, which is slightly smaller than its paper predecessor, will be available at a handful of ATM locations across the country on 14 September.

It is the second plastic note to enter circulation in England and Wales after last year's launch of the £5 note featuring Winston Churchill.

The note includes a series of raised dots in the top left-hand corner to help visually-impaired users to identify the denomination of the note.

It also features a see-through window and images that change colour when tilted in order to make it harder to counterfeit.

All existing £10 paper notes featuring Charles Darwin will be gradually withdrawn from circulation and cease to be legal tender next spring.

"Our banknotes serve as repositories of the country's collective memory, promoting awareness of the United Kingdom's glorious history and highlighting the contributions of its greatest citizens," Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said.

"The new £10 note celebrates Jane Austen's work. Austen's novels have a universal appeal and speak as powerfully today as they did when they were first published."

A portrait of Austen is on the back of the note, accompanied by a line from her best-known work, Pride and Prejudice: "I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!"

Beneath this image is Godmersham Park House, the estate owned by Austen's brother.

The foil image over the see-through window is Winchester Cathedral, where Austen was buried in 1817. This year marks the 200th anniversary of her death.

The new note is expected to last at least 2.5 times longer than the current paper £10 notes and stay in better condition during day-to-day use.

Bank of England chief cashier Victoria Cleland said: "It is wonderful to see the inspirational author Jane Austen celebrated on the new £10, and even more poignant being launched during the 200th anniversary of her death.

"I am grateful to the cash industry for their support in bringing the cleaner, safer, stronger notes to the public."