One of the new British 10 pound notes is posed for photographs outside the Bank of England in the City of London, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017. The new polymer note, released for circulation on Thursday, features the renowned novelist Jane Austen and is the first UK banknote with a tactile feature to support blind and partially sighted users. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
The Associated Press
LONDON (AP) - A new plastic ten-pound note featuring Jane Austen, one of Britain's most renowned authors, has gone into circulation.
The new 'tenner' is the first British banknote with a tactile feature involving a series of raised dots in the top left-hand corner to help blind and partially sighted users.
Just over one billion of the notes have been printed and the general public should start seeing them over coming days and weeks.
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney says 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."
The new note, which is being rolled out Thursday, is made of polymer, and follows last year's launch of the similar five-pound note that showcases Winston Churchill.
One of the new British 10 pound notes is posed for photographs outside the Bank of England in the City of London, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017. The new polymer note, released for circulation on Thursday, features the renowned novelist Jane Austen and is the first UK banknote with a tactile feature to support blind and partially sighted users. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
The Associated Press
The Queen Elizabeth II portrait side of one of the new British 10 pound notes is posed for photographs outside the Bank of England in the City of London, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2017. The new polymer note, released for circulation on Thursday, features the renowned novelist Jane Austen and is the first UK banknote with a tactile feature to support blind and partially sighted users. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
The Associated Press