5 — Five Pounds
The artwork
Front: Queen Elizabeth II in a diamond tiara and pearls, engraved in fine line work at the right. To the left, the Bank of England's copperplate heading over the promise "I promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of Five Pounds", signed by Chris Salmon as Chief Cashier, with "London for the Govr and Compa of the Bank of England" beneath. A Greek-key panel fills the lower left, broken by a turquoise E II R medallion and a holographic foil patch.
Back: Elizabeth Fry, the Quaker prison reformer, at the right in her bonnet, dated 1780–1845 beneath her own signature. Across the left half, the Newgate scene: Fry reading to women prisoners, mothers and small children crowded on the boards beneath a barred window, light falling in shafts across the cell. Behind her a rayed fan of red and yellow guilloche work fills the field.
In circulation
Issued from May 2002 as the revised Series E five, carrying the 2002 copyright line, and current through three Chief Cashiers' signatures. Withdrawn from circulation on 5 May 2017, having been superseded by the polymer five bearing Winston Churchill, first issued in September 2016. Elizabeth Fry was the last woman other than the Queen on a Bank of England five.
Details
- CurrencyPound
- DenominationFive Pounds
- Collectedon the United Kingdom journeys, 1991–2016
- IssuerBank of England
- SeriesSeries E (revised) — Elizabeth Fry
- SignatureChris Salmon, Chief Cashier
- WatermarkPortrait of Queen Elizabeth II
- SecurityHolographic foil patch, embedded metallic thread, and repeated FIVE POUNDS microlettering
- Dimensions135 × 70 mm