UK Will Start Printing Plastic Currency

Paper money had a good run in the UK – 300 years – but the Bank of England has announced that as of 2016 it will begin using polymer to print its 5 and 10 pound notes. The first will be a 5-pound note featuring Winston Churchill, followed by a 10-pound note with Jane Austen’s portrait. The polymer notes will be more durable, resistant to moisture, will allow for more advanced anti-counterfeiting measures – and will be less expensive to produce.