This is how to spot if one of Britain’s new plastic fivers is a fake
The Bank of England has issued an official guide to help punters make sure the cash is the real deal
BRITAIN'S first plastic banknote will soon be coming into force - but how can you make sure it's the real deal?
The fiver, which features the face of WWII prime minister Winston Churchill, will be smaller than the current £5 and printed on a thin material called polymer.
It's replacing the traditional paper note used by Brits for more than 300 years.
The current five pound note features the face of the Queen and, on the reverse, the head of Elizabeth Fry.
The latter was a Quaker prison reformer who transformed the lives of countless thousands of prisoners, convicts and homeless people and whose ideas on criminal justice are still practised today.
Despite being made of paper, you can determine whether or not its counterfeit by the raised print in areas such as the words 'Bank of England' and the metallic thread embedded in the note, which looks like silver dashes.
There is also a watermark - an image of the Queen's portrait - if you hold it up to the light and the print quality is sharp, clear and free from smudges or blurred edges.
If you use a magnifying glass, you'll be able to see the value of the note written in small letters and numbers beneath the picture of the Queen.
There's also a hologram on the foil patch on the front of the £5 note. If you tilt the note, the image will change between a brightly coloured picture of Britannia and the number five.
And if you've ever wondered why cashiers sometimes hold fivers under an ultra-violet light, it's because the number five appears in bright read and green when one is shone on it.
But if you're handed a new plastic one in your change on September 13, how can you tell if it's genuine?
According to Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney, the notes offer the "most advanced security features yet" due to the polymer's durable and secure make up.
Not convinced?
Here is the Bank of England's official guide to making sure your dosh is the real deal.
1. Check the see-through window and the portrait of the Queen.
2. Check the Elizabeth Tower (otherwise known as Big Ben) is gold on the front of the note and silver on the back.
3. Check the foil patch below the see-through window changes from 'Five' to 'Pounds' when the note is tilted to one side.
4. Check the coronation crown appears as a 3D image.
5. Check the ultra-violet feature.
6. Check the circular green foil patch on the back of the note which contains the word BLENHEIM - the palace where the new note was unveiled earlier this week.
