Launched in 2016, the new UK £5 note is made of what material?

The new UK £5 note aws launched in 2016 and is made of polymer which are better for the environment. This is because they last longer and so we have to print fewer notes, which means less energy is used in manufacturing and cash transportation. When a polymer note has reached the end of its life it will be recycled into new plastic products.

Each new polymer note is expected to last at least 2.5 times longer than the current paper notes. This is because polymer is stronger than paper so the notes can better withstand being repeatedly folded into wallets or scrunched up into pockets.

The New Fiver has a number of security features which make it even harder to counterfeit. These include the see-through window and the foil Elizabeth Tower which is gold on the front of the note and silver on the back. Only a tiny proportion of notes are counterfeit - 0.0075% in 2015 – but we want to stay one step ahead of the counterfeiters and these new security features help us do this.

More Info: www.thenewfiver.co.uk

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9 Comments

Sean Philips

MarkArose, this is an international site so keep your insular opinions to yourself. I welcome questions about ALL countries - it broadens the mind

Player

There is no such thing as a "UK banknote". It's either Bank of England for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland both have more than one bank that issues their own banknotes. NI banks didn't start updating their plastic banknotes to polymer until a couple of years after other UK banks.

Sally Onyett

Got my first polymer £20 note today. 😜👍

Denise Currie

Much better too, they stay a lot cleaner and last longer.

David Holmes

MarkArose, This is an international quiz. I am British but find the USA based questions interesting and a way of learning about the rest of the big wide world.