The new £10 note design featuring famed novelist Jane Austen is set to be revealed later on Tuesday.
Jane Austen is to become the second woman after the Queen to be featured on an English bank note, after the old five pound notes featuring Elizabeth Fry were replaced with a portrait of Winston Churchill.
The new note will feature the Pride and Prejudice novelist, alongside a quote from the book, which was first published in 1813.
When asked why Jane Austen was chosen to feature on the currency, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney commented:
“Jane Austen certainly merits a place in the select group of historical figures to appear on our banknotes.
“Her novels have an enduring and universal appeal, and she is recognised as one of the greatest writers in English literature.
“As Austen joins Adam Smith, Boulton and Watt, and… Churchill, our notes will celebrate a diverse range of individuals who have contributed in a wide range of fields.”
Pound sterling notes have been making the switch to polymer notes, which have been found to be more secure against counterfeiting, more dirt resilient and in turn, more durable.
However, the new plastic notes have attracted criticism from animal-rights campaigners and vegetarians after it was discovered that the five pound note contained traces of ‘tallow’, a form of animal fat.
The Bank of England since announced that they will continue to produce the polymer notes amid concerns over costs. The note is set to enter circulation in September 2017, however plastic £5 pound notes have already been in use.
Conversely, the central bank has now postponed agreeing upon supply contracts for the £20 polymer note, in order to consider plant-based substitutes such as coconut oil or palm oil.
The new £10 note is set to be revealed later today at Winchester cathedral, in the city where Jane Austen died 1817.