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Youreasy-to-followguidetocheckingyourbanknotes

take a closer look

Revised March 2014

4195 BOE TACL booklet_DL_AW.indd 1 07/03/2014 15:47

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Maintaining confidence in the currency is a key objective of the Bank of England, and you too can play a role.

ThiseasytofollowguidehasbeenproducedbytheBanktohelpcashusersidentifygenuineBankofEnglandbanknotes.

Counterfeitnotesarerare,butouradviceistoremainvigilantatalltimes:‘takeacloserlook’atnotesastheyarebeingpassedinpaymentandusethesecurityfeaturestocheckthatbanknotesaregenuine.

Whencheckingnotes,itisbestnottorelyonjustonefeature,buttocheckafewofthosedescribedinthisguide.Feelthenoteinyourhandsandlookatitclosely;ifyouhaveanydoubtscompareittoonethatyouknowisgenuine.

VictoriaClelandHeadofNotesDivision

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INTRODUCTION


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When should I check banknotes?Itisagoodideatocheckyourbanknoteswheneverexchangingthemwithsomeonetoensuretheyaregenuine.Itisespeciallyimportanttobecarefulinsituationswhereyoucannotseethenotesclearly.

What features should I check?YoushouldcheckthegenericfeaturesonallBankofEnglandbanknotes,suchasthefeelofthepaperandraisedprint,themetallicthread,andthewatermark.Youshouldalsocheckthefeatureswhicharespecifictocertainnotes,suchastheholographicstriponthe£20noteandthemotionthreadonthe£50note.Thisbookletgivesfulldetailsofallofthesecurityfeaturesoneachofournotes.

What should I do if I think I have a counterfeit note?Counterfeitnotesareworthless.Itisacriminaloffencetoholdontoorpassoncounterfeitnotes.Ifyoususpectanoteiscounterfeit,takeittothepoliceassoonaspossible.TheywillgiveyouareceiptandsendthenotetotheBankofEnglandforanalysis.Ifthenoteisgenuine,youwillbereimbursed.

What type of ultra-violet (UV) lamp should I use to check a banknote is genuine?AUVlampthatemitslightataround365nanometresisidealforcheckingthefluorescentfeaturesonthe£5,£10,£20and£50notes.TheHoublon£50notedoesnothaveafluorescentfeature.WeadviseagainstusingLED(LightEmittingDiode)devices,suchaskey-fobstyledetectors,astheseoftenemitlightabove365nanometres.

Can I use a detector pen to check whether a banknote is genuine?Some(butnotall)counterfeitnotescanbedetectedusingsuchpens.Thepenscauseachemicalreactionbetweentheirinkandthepaper.Becarefulasoldordirtypenscanbeunreliable.

GENERAL ADVICE


Banknotesgetslightlylargerastheyincreaseinvalue,soa£10noteisbiggerthana£5noteandsoon.

£5–approx135x70mm




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BANKNOTE SIZES


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Check the paper and the raised printBanknotesareprintedonspecialpaperthatgivesthemtheiruniquefeel.Byrunningyourfingeracrossthefrontofthe£5noteyoucanfeelraisedprintinareassuchasthewords‘BankofEngland’.

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Check the metallic threadThereisametallicthreadembeddedineverybanknote.Thisappearsassilverdashesonthebackofthe£5note.Ifyouholdthenoteuptothelightthemetallicthreadwillappearasacontinuousdarkline.

Check the watermarkHoldthe£5noteuptothelightandyouwillseeanimageoftheQueen’sportrait.

front back

clear blurred

Check the print qualityTheprintedlinesandcoloursonthe£5notearesharp,clearandfreefromsmudgesorblurrededges.

Follow these simple steps to check whether your banknotes are genuine.

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back

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Check the hologramThereisahologramonthefoilpatchonthefrontofthe£5note.Ifyoutiltthenote,theimagewillchangebetweenabrightlycolouredpictureofBritanniaandthenumber5.

Check the ultra-violet featureIfyoulookatthefrontofthe£5noteunderagoodqualityultra-violetlight,thenumber5appearsinbrightredandgreenwhilstthebackgroundremainsdullincontrast.

Check the microletteringUsingamagnifyingglass,lookcloselyattheletteringbeneaththeQueen’sportraitonthe£5note–youwillseethevalueofthenotewritteninsmalllettersandnumbers.

Remember, do not rely on just one feature, check a few. £52

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closeup magnified


Check the paper and the raised printBanknotesareprintedonspecialpaperthatgivesthemtheiruniquefeel.Byrunningyourfingeracrossthefrontofthe£10noteyoucanfeelraisedprintinareassuchasthewords‘BankofEngland’.

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Check the watermarkHoldthe£10noteuptothelightandyouwillseeanimageoftheQueen’sportrait.

front back

clear blurred



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back

blurred

Check the hologramThereisahologramonthefoilpatchonthefrontofthe£10note.Ifyoutiltthenote,theimagewillchangebetweenabrightlycolouredpictureofBritanniaandthenumber10.

Check the ultra-violet featureIfyoulookatthefrontofthe£10noteunderagoodqualityultra-violetlight,thenumber10appearsinbrightredandgreenwhilstthebackgroundremainsdullincontrast.


Remember, do not rely on just one feature, check a few. £102

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closeup magnified


closeup magnified

Check the paper and the raised printBanknotesareprintedonspecialpaperthatgivesthemtheiruniquefeel.Byrunningyourfingeracrossthefrontofthe£20noteyoucanfeelraisedprintinareassuchasthewords‘BankofEngland’andinthebottomrightcorner,aroundthenumber20.

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Check the watermarkHoldthe£20noteuptothelightandyouwillseeanimageoftheQueen’sportraittogetherwithabright£20.

front back

clear blurred



Follow these simple steps to check whether your banknotes are genuine. Remember, do not rely on just one feature, check a few.

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magnified

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embossed20

seenfromfront backshapesadded

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Check the holographic stripThestriponthe£20notehasanumberoffoilpatchesalongitslengthwhichcontainalternatingholographicimages.Thepositioningofthepatchesvariesalongthestrip.Whenthenoteistilted,onehologramshowsamulti-colouredimageofAdamSmith,theotherchangesbetweenamulti-coloured£symbolandthenumber20.Thenumber20isalsoembossedonthestripandispositionedinthesameplaceoneverynote–justtotherightofthesignatureoftheChiefCashier.

Check the ultra-violet featuresIfyoulookatthefrontofthe£20noteunderagoodqualityultra-violetlightthenumber20appearsinbrightredandgreen.Randomlyspreadbrightredandgreenflecksarealsovisibleonboththefrontandbackofthenote.Theremainderofthenoteappearsdullincontrast.

Check the see-through registerHoldthe£20noteuptothelightandyouwillseecolouredirregularshapesprintedonthefrontandbackthatcombinetoformthe£symbol.

Follow these simple steps to check whether your banknotes are genuine. Remember, do not rely on just one feature, check a few. £20

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Check the paper and the raised printBanknotesareprintedonspecialpaperthatgivesthemtheiruniquefeel.Byrunningyourfingeracrossthefrontofthe£50noteyoucanfeelraisedprintinareassuchasthewords‘BankofEngland’andinthebottomrightcorner,aroundthenumber50.

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Check the metallic threadThereisametallicthreadembeddedineverybanknote.Ifyouholdthe£50noteuptothelightthemetallicthreadwillappearasacontinuousdarkline.

Check the watermarkHoldthe£50noteuptothelightandyouwillseeanimageoftheQueen’sportraittogetherwithabright£50.

front back

clear blurred




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seenfromfront helduptolight

closeup magnified


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seenfromfront backshapesadded

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blurred

Check the motion threadThemotionthreadonthe£50noteiswovenintothepaper.Ithasfivewindowsalongitslengthwhichcontainimagesofthe£symbolandthenumber50.Whenthenoteistiltedfromsidetoside,theimagesmoveupanddown.Whenthenoteistiltedupanddown,theimagesmovefromsidetosideandthenumber50and£symbolswitch.

Check the ultra-violet featuresIfyoulookatthefrontofthe£50noteunderagoodqualityultra-violetlightthenumber50appearsinbrightredandgreen.Thefivewindowsofthemotionthreadalsoappearbrightgreen.Randomlyspreadbrightredandgreenflecksarealsovisibleonboththefrontandbackofthenote.Theremainderofthenoteappearsdullincontrast.

Check the see-through registerHoldthe£50noteuptothelightandyouwillseecolouredirregularshapesprintedonthefrontandbackthatcombinetoformthe£symbol.

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£50Remember, do not rely on just one feature, check a few.

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helduptolight

magnified


Check the paper and the raised printBanknotesareprintedonspecialpaperthatgivesthemtheiruniquefeel.ByrunningyourfingeracrossthefrontoftheHoublon£50noteyoucanfeelraisedprintinareassuchasthewords‘BankofEngland’.

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Check the metallic threadThereisametallicthreadembeddedineverybanknote.ThisappearsassilverdashesonthefrontoftheHoublon£50note.Ifyouholdthenoteuptothelightthemetallicthreadwillappearasacontinuousdarkline.

Check the watermarkHoldtheHoublon£50noteuptothelightandyouwillseeanimageoftheQueen’sportrait.

front back

clear blurred

Check the print qualityTheprintedlinesandcoloursontheHoublon£50notearesharp,clearandfreefromsmudgesorblurrededges.


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Withdrawal date 30 April 2014


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5 Check the foil patchThereisafoilpatchonthefrontoftheHoublon£50noteneartheportraitoftheQueen.Thisfeaturesareflectiveroseandmedallion.

Houblon £50

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Remember, do not rely on just one feature, check a few.

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30 April 2014 withdrawal of Houblon £50 note

£50 notes featuring Sir John Houblon on the reverse will be withdrawn from circulation on 30 April 2014. They can be used normally until then. For several months after this most banks and building societies will accept these notes for deposit into customer accounts.Barclays, RBS, NatWest, Ulster Bank and the Post Office have agreed to exchange Houblon £50 notes, up to the value of £200, at their branch counters until 30 October 2014. The Bank of England will always exchange its old-series notes.

Withdrawal date 30 April 2014


Exchanging withdrawn Bank of England banknotesGenuineBankofEnglandnotes,whichhavebeenwithdrawnfromcirculation,retaintheirfacevalueforalltimeandcanbeexchangedwiththeBankofEngland.

Forfurtherinformationvisitourwebsite:www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/about/exchanges

Damaged and mutilated banknotes TheBankofEngland’sMutilatedNoteServiceexiststoreimburseholdersofBankofEnglandbanknotes,atfullfacevalue,fornotesthathavebecomedamagedorcontaminated,providingtherearesufficientfragmentsorremains.Asageneralrulethereshouldbeevidenceofatleasthalfabanknote.

Forfurtherinformationvisitourwebsite:www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/damaged_banknotes

Framework for the testing of automatic cash handling machines TheBankofEnglandencouragesmanufacturersofmachinesthatautomaticallyauthenticate,acceptorsortbanknotestotesttheirmachinescapabilitiesattheBankofEngland.Re-testingisrequiredannuallyandsuccessfulmachinesarelistedonourwebsite.TheframeworkhelpstomaintainahighlevelofconfidenceinBankofEnglandbanknotesandallowscompaniesthatownorusesuchequipmenttomakeinformedchoicesabouttheequipmenttheyuse.

Forfurtherinformationvisitourwebsite:www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/retailers/framework

Dye stained banknotesCashintransitrobberiescontinuetobeaproblemintheUK.TomakethisalessattractivecrimetheBankofEnglandworkswiththecashindustrytopromotetheuseofdyestainingdevicesincashboxessothatstolennotesareeasilyrecognisable.

Forfurtherinformationvisit:www.banknotewatch.org

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FURTHER INFORMATION


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Inadditiontothisbooklet,theBankofEnglandprovidesarangeoftrainingandeducationalmaterialsaboutbanknotes.Theseinclude:

‘take a closer look’ banknote appThefullyinteractiveappgivesfulldetailsofthesecurityfeaturesonallofourbanknotes,togetherwitharangeofotherusefuladviceandinformationaboutBankofEnglandbanknotes.

‘take a closer look’ DVD Ashortfilmprovidingageneralappreciationofhowourbanknotescanbecheckedquicklyandeasily.Runningtimeapproximately13minutes.

‘take a closer look’ computer based training programme (CD-ROM) Thishighlightsthesecurityanddesignfeaturesofourbanknotesandincludesashorttest.Completiontimeapproximately20minutes.

‘take a closer look’ posters Thepostershighlightthesecurityfeaturesonallofourbanknotes.

‘take a closer look’ small credit card sized leaflet Thisfoldoutleafletgivesfulldetailsofthesecurityfeaturesonallofourbanknotes.

Dedicated pages on our website ThebanknotessectionontheBankofEnglandwebsiteincludesavirtualtourofourbanknotesandotherusefulinformation.Visit:www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes

Free banknote education materials


Do you have any information relating to the production, distribution or passing of counterfeit notes?Ifyoudo,pleasereportittoCrimestopperswhowilltakethedetails.

Who are Crimestoppers?CrimestoppersisanindependentUK-widecharityworkingtostopcrime.Crimestoppersguaranteesyoucompleteanonymitywhenyoucallthemwithinformationaboutcrimeandcriminals.Crimestoppersworksforyou,yourfamilyandyourcommunity.

Who do I call?Ifyouhaveanyinformation,pleasetelephone0800555111andyouwillbeconnectedtoahighlytrainedoperator.

Do I have to give my name or other personal details?No,youwillnothavetorevealyourname,makeastatementorappearinCourt.CallstoCrimestopperswillnotberecordedortraced.

What sort of questions might I be asked?• Doyouknowwherecounterfeitnotesarebeing

made/sold/used?• Doyouknowthenamesofthoseinvolved?• Arethereanyvehiclesinvolvedanddoyouknow

theregistrationnumbers?• Doyouknowofanyhidingplacesbeingusedtostore

counterfeitbanknotes?

What happens after I have said all I know?Ifyourinformationleadstoarrestandcharge,youmaybeeligibleforacashawardofupto£1,000.Youridentitywillnotberevealedoncollectionofsuchanaward.TheprocessisexplainedbythecallhandlersatCrimestoppers.

Contact detailsCrimestopperstelephonenumber:0800 555 111Websiteaddress:www.crimestoppers-uk.org

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The Bank of England exists to ensure monetary stability and to contribute to financial stability. It issues the banknotes that we all use in our daily lives.

For further information

Tel:02076014878Email:[email protected]/banknotes

PublicInformationandEnquiriesGroup,BankofEngland,ThreadneedleStreet,LondonEC2R8AH

ThisbookletisavailableinWelsh.

TACLB3

©TheGovernorandCompanyoftheBankofEngland2011BanknotescanonlybereproducedwiththepermissionoftheBankofEngland


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