THE move from paper banknotes to polymer will continue next year when two more banks in the north will introduce their own-denomination notes.
Danske Bank, which as the old Northern Bank became the first-ever UK bank to issue a ‘plastic’ note in December 1999 to mark the new millennium, is launching a polymer £10 note into local circulation on February 27 next.
And on the same day Bank of Ireland will bring polymer £5 and £10 banknotes into circulation in Northern Ireland, with a £20 banknote to follow in 2020.
Danske Bank said its polymer £10 note will keep the familiar base design concept of the paper note but with subtle colour and feature upgrades including a revised main portrait of the image on its current paper counterpart – a depiction of inventor John Dunlop, who was credited with developing the first practical pneumatic tyre.
In a change to the old design, it will also now include an image of Mr Dunlop’s son alongside that of his father.
The note will bear the signature of Danske Bank’s chief executive Kevin Kingston.
Bank of Ireland's new polymer banknotes will retain the now familiar iconic image of the Old Bushmills Distillery, the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery.
The current banknote design first went into circulation in April 2008 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of King James 1 granting a license to the area around Bushmills to distil whiskey.
Ian Sheppard, managing director NI at Bank of Ireland UK, said: "We remain at the forefront of banknote design technology and this announcement marks the single biggest change to Bank of Ireland bank notes in Northern Ireland in living memory.
"While the design remains familiar the new polymer notes are different in a number of ways. For the first time in our note history, the £10 note will have two arrangements of four raised dots in square formation, enabling physical identification for the visually impaired.
"The new notes will incorporate a clear window which can be seen from both the front and back of the notes and they will have a shiny iridescent area of ink which changes colour as you tilt the note.
"This important development in our note history will ensure our banknotes are cleaner, more durable, more environmentally friendly and, with enhanced features, more secure than ever before."
Bank of Ireland is currently the largest issuer of banknotes in Northern Ireland.
The £5 and £10 notes will bear the signature of the bank’s UK chief financial officer Thomas McAreavey.
Both banks' existing paper notes will remain legal tender but will be gradually removed from circulation.
