How to check
your banknotes
Your simple guide to checking banknotes
Bank of England
How to check your banknotes
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Introduction
This simple guide helps you to identify genuine
Bank of England notes by focusing on two key
security features.
Counterfeits are rare, but it pays to be careful
as they are worthless.
We also provide a range of other education
materials about our notes and their security
features, including lms and online training.
Go to bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes
for more resources and information.
Sarah John,
Chief Cashier and
Executive Director of Banking
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Contents
4 Banknotes featuring King Charles III and Queen Elizabeth II
6 Key security features
8 Check other security features on the £5 note
10 Check other security features on the £10 note
12 Check other security features on the £20 note
14 Check other security features on the £50 note
16 Join our free Banknote Checking Scheme
17 What to do if your business receives a counterfeit note
18 Features for blind and partially sighted people
20 Advice and information
20 How do I exchange withdrawn Bank of England notes?
20 When should I check notes?
20 What should I do if I think I have a counterfeit note?
20 What type of ultraviolet (UV) lamp should I use to
check a note is genuine?
21 Can I use a detector pen to check whether a note is genuine?
21 Should I use a banknote checking machine?
21 What should I do with damaged notes?
21 Where can I find information on all UK currency?
Banknotes featuring
King Charles III and
Queen Elizabeth II
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Security features
The King’s image will appear on the front of the
banknotes as well as in the see-through security
window. You can check these notes in the same way as
our polymer banknotes that feature Queen Elizabeth II.
Gradual issuance
The new banknotes will only be printed to replace
those that are worn and to meet any overall increase
in demand for banknotes. Our approach is in line with
guidance from the Royal Household, to minimise the
environmental and nancial impact of this change.
Fronts of
Queen Elizabeth II banknotes
Fronts of
King Charles III banknotes
Co-circulation
You can still use any polymer banknotes that feature
Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Banknotes
featuring Queen Elizabeth II and the King will be in
circulation at the same time.
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Key security features
All of our notes can be checked using the same
two security features.
See-through window
2
Look at the metallic image over
the window. Check the foil is
gold on the front of the £5 and
£10, gold and blue on the front
of the £20 and gold and green
on the front of the £50. The foil is
silver on the back of all notes.
Hologram image change
1
£5
Tilt the note from side to side.
Check the words change
between the value of the note,
‘Five’, ‘Ten’, ‘Twenty’ or ‘Fifty’
and ‘Pounds’.
£10 £20 £50
Within the two gold foil
squares on the front of the
£50 note, the images change
between ‘50’ and a ‘£’ symbol
when the note is tilted.
£50
Look for a second, smaller
window in the bottom corner
of the £20 and £50 notes.
£20
£5 £10 £20 £50
1.
2.
£50
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Check other security features
on the £5 note
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£5 front
Queen Elizabeth II
£5 back
Queen Elizabeth II
£5 front
King Charles III
£5 back
King Charles III
Green foil patch
A circular, green foil patch contains the word ‘BLENHEIM’.
You will nd this on the back of the note, directly behind
the silver crown on the front.
Colour-changing border
When you tilt the note, a coloured border around the edge
of the see-through window will change from purple to green.
The ‘£’ symbol in the window changes from purple to green.
Silver foil patch
A silver foil patch contains a 3D image of the coronation
crown. You will nd this above the see‑through window
on the front of the note.
Ultraviolet number
Under a good-quality ultraviolet light, the number
‘5’ appears in bright red and green on the front of the
note, against a duller background.
Feel of polymer and raised print
The note is printed on polymer, which is a thin and
exible plastic material. On the front of the note, you
can feel raised print on the words ‘Bank of England’
and in the bottom right corner, around the number ‘5’.
Print quality
The printed lines and colours on the note are sharp and
clear, with no smudges or blurred edges. If you use a
magnifying glass, you will see the value of the note written
in small letters and numbers below the monarch’s portrait.
The monarch’s portrait in the
see-through window
A portrait of King Charles III or Queen Elizabeth II is
printed on the window with ‘£5 Bank of England’ printed
twice around the edge.
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Check other security features
on the £10 note
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£10 front
Queen Elizabeth II
£10 back
Queen Elizabeth II
£10 front
King Charles III
£10 back
King Charles III
Silver foil patch
A silver foil patch contains a 3D image of the coronation
crown. You will nd this above the see‑through window
on the front of the note.
Ultraviolet number
Under a good-quality ultraviolet light, the number
‘10’ appears in bright red and green on the front of the
note, against a duller background.
Colour-changing quill
When you tilt the note, a coloured quill at the side of the
see-through window will change from purple to orange.
Feel of polymer and raised print
The note is printed on polymer, which is a thin and
exible plastic material. On the front of the note, you
can feel raised print on the words ‘Bank of England’
and in the bottom right corner, around the number ‘10’.
Print quality
The printed lines and colours on the note are sharp and
clear, with no smudges or blurred edges. If you use a
magnifying glass, you will see the value of the note written
in small letters and numbers below the monarch’s portrait.
Copper foil patch
A book-shaped, copper foil patch contains the letters ‘JA’.
You will nd this on the back of the note, directly behind
the silver crown on the front.
The monarch’s portrait in the
see-through window
A portrait of King Charles III or Queen Elizabeth II is printed
on the window with ‘£10 Bank of England’ printed twice
around the edge.
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Check other security features
on the £20 note
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£20 front
Queen Elizabeth II
£20 back
Queen Elizabeth II
£20 front
King Charles III
£20 back
King Charles III
Purple foil patch
A round, purple foil patch contains the letter ‘T’. You will
nd this on the back of the note, directly behind the silver
crown on the front.
Silver foil patch
A silver foil patch contains a 3D image of the coronation
crown. You will nd this above the main see‑through
window on the front of the note.
Feel of polymer and raised print
The note is printed on polymer, which is a thin and
exible plastic material. On the front of the note, you
can feel raised print on the words ‘Bank of England’
and in the bottom right corner, over the smaller window.
Ultraviolet number
Under a good-quality ultraviolet light, the number ‘20’
appears in bright red and green on the front of the note,
against a duller background.
Print quality
The printed lines and colours on the note are sharp and
clear, with no smudges or blurred edges. If you use a
magnifying glass, you will see the value of the note written
in small letters and numbers below the monarch’s portrait.
The monarch’s portrait in the
see-through window
A portrait of King Charles III or Queen Elizabeth II is printed
on the window with ‘£20 Bank of England’ printed twice
around the edge.
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Check other security features
on the £50 note
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£50 front
Queen Elizabeth II
£50 back
Queen Elizabeth II
£50 front
King Charles III
£50 back
King Charles III
Red foil patch
A metallic, red foil patch contains the letters ‘AT’. You will
nd this on the back of the note, directly behind the silver
crown on the front.
Silver foil patch
A silver foil patch contains a 3D image of the coronation
crown. You will nd this above the main see‑through
window on the front of the note.
Print quality
The printed lines and colours on the note are sharp and
clear, with no smudges or blurred edges. If you use a
magnifying glass, you will see the value of the note written
in small letters and numbers below the monarch’s portrait.
Ultraviolet number
Under a good-quality ultraviolet light, the number ‘50’
appears in bright red and green on the front of the note,
against a duller background.
Feel of polymer and raised print
The note is printed on polymer, which is a thin and
exible plastic material. On the front of the note, you
can feel raised print on the words ‘Bank of England’
and in the bottom right corner, over the smaller window.
The monarch’s portrait in the
see-through window
A portrait of King Charles III or Queen Elizabeth II is printed
on the window with ‘£50 Bank of England’ printed twice
around the edge.
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Are you a retailer or business? Join our free Banknote Checking
Scheme to help protect your business from counterfeit banknotes
and receive information on the latest banknote news.
Join our free Banknote
Checking Scheme
The Banknote Checking Scheme helps you to:
Train your staff so they can condently check
notes at point of sale
Make sure your staff know what to do with
a counterfeit note
Stay up-to-date with best practice
Learn about important banknote developments
Don’t let counterfeit notes be a cost to your business,
your customers or your reputation.
Join our Banknote Checking Scheme:
bankofengland.co.uk/banknote-checking-scheme
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What to do if your business
receives a counterfeit note
It helps to have a clear company policy on what staff should do
if they receive a counterfeit note. This can prevent nancial loss
to your business and protect staff members.
Best practice is to follow these steps:
Take it to your bank as a
suspect counterfeit note
or contact the police.
Yes
No
No
Keep the note, provide the customer with a receipt and ask for another
form of payment.
• Inform the customer that they
will be reimbursed if the note
is genuine.
• Contact the police or take
the note to your bank as a
suspect counterfeit.
Has the counterfeit note
been discovered after the
customer has left?
Yes
Refuse the note and ask
for another form of payment.
• Contact the police when
it’s safe to do so.
Does the staff member feel
at risk?
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Features for blind and partially
sighted people
The higher the value of a note, the larger it is.
These are the approximate sizes:
On the front of the notes (the side with
raised print), the value can be identied
by the number of clusters of raised
dots in the top left corner. The £5 has
none, the £10 has two, the £20 has
three and the £50 has four clusters.
£5 – 125mm x 65mm
£10 – 132mm x 69mm
£20 – 139mm x 73mm
£50 – 146mm x 77mm
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How do I exchange withdrawn
Bank of England notes?
At the Post Ofce – The Post Ofce
may accept withdrawn notes as
payment for goods and services or
as a deposit into any bank account
you can access with them. You can
now exchange some withdrawn
notes for new notes at certain
Post Ofce branches.
At your bank – If you have a UK bank
account, the simplest and quickest way
to exchange your notes will normally
be to deposit them with your bank.
With the Bank of England – You can
always exchange withdrawn notes at
the Bank of England.
bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/
exchanging-old-banknotes
When should I check notes?
Check your notes when you rst
receive them. It’s important to be
careful in situations where you
can’t see the notes clearly.
Advice and information
Can I use a detector pen
to check whether a note
is genuine?
No – detector pens don’t spot
counterfeits printed on polymer.
Should I use a banknote
checking machine?
All of our notes can be authenticated
by look, tilt and feel. If you choose to
use a machine to check banknotes,
make sure it can spot the latest
counterfeit notes. Our machine-testing
framework enables manufacturers to
test their machines with counterfeit
banknotes to ensure they only accept
genuine banknotes. We publish a list
of models and software versions that
meet our standards.
bankofengland.co.uk/
banknotes/retailers-and-
businesses/testing-automatic-
banknote-handling-machines
What should I do if I think
I have a counterfeit note?
If you think that you have a counterfeit
banknote, please take it to your bank
as a suspect counterfeit or contact
the police. They will give you a receipt
and send the note to us for analysis.
If it is a genuine note (and not a
counterfeit), you will be reimbursed.
If you are a retailer or business,
see the ‘What to do if your business
receives a counterfeit note’ section
in this booklet.
What type of ultraviolet (UV)
lamp should I use to check a
note is genuine?
A UV lamp which emits light at around
365 nanometres is ideal for checking
the uorescent features on all our notes.
We do not advise using LED (light-
emitting diode) devices, such as key
fob-style detectors, because these often
emit light above 365 nanometres. Some
counterfeiters do attempt to simulate UV
features, so we recommend checking
the UV feature alongside at least one of
the key security features that you can
check on page 6.
What should I do with
damaged notes?
We will reimburse you the face value
for genuine notes that have been
accidentally damaged (providing there
are sufcient fragments or remains).
As a general rule, there should be
evidence of at least half the note.
bankofengland.co.uk/
banknotes/damaged-and-
contaminated-banknotes
Where can I find information
on all UK currency?
Please visit: bankofengland.co.uk/
banknotes/uk-notes-and-coins
