Get ready for the Churchill fiver! Bank of England's first ever plastic bank note goes into circulation tomorrow

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The Bank of England will start circulating its first ever plastic £5 note tomorrow which will feature legendary former Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

The new banknote is printed on polymer rather than paper, a thin flexible plastic film which the Bank says is cleaner, stronger and more secure.

It will print 440million of the notes, which can last around five years longer than paper note, which will be phased out. 

They feature prison reformer Elizabeth Fry and can be used in shops until it is withdrawn from circulation in May 2017.

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Churchill note: The fiver stars the former Prime Minister and is made from polymer 

After May 2017, paper £5 notes can only be exchanged with the Bank of England.

The new £5 note paves the way for a new generation of security features, making the note harder to counterfeit, the Bank of England claims. 

They include a see-through window featuring the Queen's portrait as well as Big Ben shown in gold foil on the front of the note and silver on the back.

The new notes are also 15 per cent smaller than the ones currently used.

Mark Carney, Bank of England governor, said: 'The new fiver will commemorate the achievements of the only prime minister to win the Nobel Prize for literature and one of the greatest statesmen of all time - Sir Winston Churchill.

'As he himself said, "a nation that forgets its past has no future". Our banknotes are repositories of the United Kingdom's collective memory and like Churchill, our new polymer notes will stand the test of time.'

Next Tuesday: The new notes will start being dished out from Tuesday

While the new fiver is the first Bank of England note to be printed on polymer, some parts of the UK have already experienced plastic banknotes.

In March 2015 in Scotland, Clydesdale Bank issued two million £5 polymer banknotes to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the opening of the Forth Bridge.

More than 30 countries issue polymer notes, including Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Singapore and Canada.

Novelist Jane Austen will be the face of the new £10 note from summer 2017.

Artist JMW Turner will appear on the next £20 banknote, due to be issued by 2020.

Like the Churchill fiver, the new £10 and £20 notes will also be printed on polymer.

Plastic note: More than 30 countries use polymer notes, including Australia and Canada

Born at Blenheim Palace on November 30, 1874, Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was elected as a Conservative MP for Oldham in 1900. 

In May 1940 he became Prime Minister, replacing Neville Chamberlain and leading the newly-formed national government.

In his first speech to the new administration, he declared: 'I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat' - words which are depicted on the new £5 note.

Sir Winston's strong leadership qualities during the Second World War earned him a vast international following, particularly in the United States where he was granted honorary US citizenship. 

He has been portrayed on the postage stamps of 150 nations.

During his lifetime, Sir Winston received 37 orders, decorations and medals including Companion of Honour, Order of Merit, Order of the Garter and in 1953 the Nobel Prize for literature.

He died at the age of 90, on January 24, 1965, and was given a state funeral. Sir Winston was also the first commoner to be portrayed on a British coin - the 1965 crown or five shilling piece. 

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