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Northern Ireland banknote issuers Danske Bank and Bank of Ireland have announced that they will start circulating polymer banknotes from February 2019.

Both banks announced yesterday that they will launch their polymer banknotes on the 27 February 2019. Both will issue a £10 design, and the Bank of Ireland will also issue a polymer £5 note followed by a polymer £20 expected in 2020.

It is the first time that a polymer banknote has been issued in Northern Ireland since 1999 when Danske Bank, then known as Northern Bank, released a commemorative polymer note to mark the new millennium.

Image courtesy of Danske Bank.

The design of the new £10 banknote from Danske Bank is similar to the current paper version. It keeps a predominantly green colour scheme and portraits of John Dunlop, inventor of the well known pressurised tyre, shown on the front of the note and the pediment sculpture of Belfast City Hall on the reverse. Several polymer specific features have been included including a clear window and optically variable ink, thought to be De La Rue’s SPARK® Orbital™ optically variable ink feature. It also includes a series of raised dots designed to assist those with visual impairments to identify the note’s denomination.

Similarly, the Bank of Ireland also continues to use a similar design to that used for its current paper £5 and £10 banknotes including illustrations of the Old Bushmills Distillery in County Antrim, the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery. Like Danske Bank’s notes, security features will include a clear window with optically variable ink feature. To see images of the Bank of Ireland polymer banknotes, visit bbc.co.uk

Both banks cite that the use of polymer banknote substrate will ensure cleaner and more durable banknotes that are environmentally friendly and provide modern, secure anti-counterfeit features.

Read the Danske Bank press release.

Read the Bank of Ireland press release.