Clydesdale Bank £5 note

{{Infobox banknote

| country = United Kingdom

| denomination = Five pounds

| value = £5 sterling

| unit =

| width_mm = 125

| height_mm = 65

| security_features = Clear window, raised print, iridescence, colour-changing ink, microtext, UV printing, see-through registration device (paper issue)

| paper_type = Polymer

| years_of_printing = 1838–present
2015–present (current design)

| obverse = Clydesdale-Polymer-£5-Front.png

| obverse_design = William Arrol

| obverse_designer =

| obverse_design_date = 2015

| reverse = Clydesdale-Polymer-£5-Back.png

| reverse_design = Forth Bridge

| reverse_designer =

| reverse_design_date = 2015

}}

The Clydesdale Bank £5 note, also known informally as a fiver, is a sterling banknote. It is the smallest denomination of banknote issued by Clydesdale Bank. The current polymer note, first issued in 2015, bears an image of engineer William Arrol on the obverse and an image of the Forth Bridge on the reverse. It was the first fully polymer banknote to go into circulation in the United Kingdom.

History

Clydesdale Bank began issuing £5 notes in 1838, the same year as the bank's founding. Early banknotes were monochrome, and printed on one side only. The issuing of banknotes by Scottish banks was regulated by the Banknote (Scotland) Act 1845 until it was superseded by the Banking Act 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/banknote_history.php|title=Banknote History|publisher=The Committee of Scottish Bankers|accessdate=5 June 2016}} Though not strictly legal tender in Scotland, Scottish banknotes are nevertheless legal currency and are generally accepted throughout the United Kingdom. Scottish banknotes are fully backed such that holders have the same level of protection as those holding genuine Bank of England notes.{{cite web|url=http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/media/sni_notes_factsheet_feb14.pdf|title=Scottish and Northern Ireland Banknotes Factsheet|publisher=Association of Commercial Banknote Issuers |accessdate=5 June 2016}} The £5 note is currently the smallest denomination of banknote issued by Clydesdale Bank.{{cite web|url=http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/banknotes_current_clydesdale_bank.php|title=Current Banknotes : Clydesdale Bank|publisher=The Committee of Scottish Bankers|accessdate=13 June 2016}}

Scottish banknotes are not withdrawn in the same manner as Bank of England notes, and therefore several different versions of the Clydesdale five pound note may be encountered,{{cite web|url=https://www.scotbanks.org.uk/polymer-banknotes/what-to-do-with-scottish-paper-5-10-notes.html|title=What to do with Scottish Paper £5 & £10 notes|publisher=The Committee of Scottish Bankers|accessdate=9 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171009194255/https://www.scotbanks.org.uk/polymer-banknotes/what-to-do-with-scottish-paper-5-10-notes.html|archive-date=9 October 2017|url-status=dead}} although the Committee of Scottish Bankers encouraged the public to spend or exchange older, non-polymer five pound notes before 1 March 2018.{{Cite web |title=Four-week deadline to use Scottish paper money|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-42945093|publisher=BBC News |date=2018-02-05|accessdate=2018-02-05}} The "Famous Scots" issue of the £5 note featuring Scottish poet Robert Burns was introduced in 1971.{{cite web|url=https://issuu.com/bungy52/docs/coin_news_2011-10/75|title=The Clydesdale Bank's "Famous Scots" Series 1971–2007|date=22 September 2013 |publisher=Coin News|accessdate=13 June 2016}} On the reverse are images of a field mouse and wild roses, inspired by two of Burns' poems.{{cite web|url=http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/banknote_design_clydesdale_bank_Famous_Scots.php|title=Banknote Design Features : Clydesdale Bank Famous Scots Series|publisher=The Committee of Scottish Bankers|accessdate=14 June 2016}} A "World Heritage" series £5 note was introduced in 2009. This note features a portrait of biologist Alexander Fleming on the front, and an image of the World Heritage Site of St Kilda on the back.{{cite web|url=http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/banknote_design_clydesdale_bank_World_Heritage.php|title=Banknote Design Features : Clydesdale Bank World Heritage Series|publisher=The Committee of Scottish Bankers|accessdate=14 June 2016}} In 2015 a new polymer note was introduced, featuring an image of the Forth Bridge on the reverse and a portrait of William Arrol, whose firm constructed the bridge, on the obverse.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-32000610|title=Clydesdale Bank brings in plastic £5 notes|date=23 March 2015 |publisher=BBC News|accessdate=18 June 2016}} This note was the first British banknote to be made entirely from polymer.{{cite web|url=http://www.scotsman.com/business/companies/financial/scottish-5-plastic-note-up-for-award-1-4068313|title=Scottish £5 plastic note up for award|publisher=The Scotsman|accessdate=18 June 2016}}

Designs

Note ! First issued ! Colour ! Size ! Design ! Additional information
class="wikitable"
Famous Scots	1971	Blue	135 × 70 mm	Front: Robert Burns; Back: Various images	withdrawn 1st March 2018
World Heritage	2009	Blue	135 × 70 mm	Front: Alexander Fleming; Back: St Kilda	withdrawn 1st March 2018
Polymer	2015	Blue	125 × 65 mm	Front: William Arrol; Back: Forth Bridge

Information taken from The Committee of Scottish Bankers website.{{cite web|url=http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/media/18526_-_de_la_rue_-_dl_leaflet_v13.pdf|title=Scottish Polymer Notes|publisher=The Committee of Scottish Bankers|accessdate=17 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160626122354/http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/media/18526_-_de_la_rue_-_dl_leaflet_v13.pdf|archive-date=26 June 2016|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/media/18524_-_de_la_rue_-_scottish_polymer_notes_-_a1_poster_v14.pdf|title=Know Your Scottish Banknotes|publisher=The Committee of Scottish Bankers|accessdate=17 June 2016}}

References

External links

[http://www.scotbanks.org.uk/index.php The Committee of Scottish Bankers website]

Category:Banknotes of Scotland

Category:Five-base-unit banknotes

Category:Clydesdale Bank