The British monarchy has a full house (Royal Flush?) of Kings waiting in line to succeed the Happy and Glorious Queen Elizabeth II. As a counterpoint to this surge of manliness the Bank of England has decided to put Jane Austen instead of Winston Churchill on the new £10 note. Suffragettes everywhere can start rejoicing. Me, I don’t really look at the mug shots on the dosh, it’s just money, isn’t it? They could put Steve Austin on there for all I care. However, maybe he’s on the American six million dollar note.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Winston Churchill will be put on the £5 note as planned. He will replace Elizabeth Fry. Jane Austen will replace Charles Darwin on the £10 note when that is withdrawn. I suppose the reason why is because many of Britain’s greatest were women and that should be acknowledged. In Germany the banknotes alternated — the DM 5, 20, 100, and 500 banknotes featured women while the DM 10, 50, 200 and 1000 banknotes featured men. Perhaps it would also be possible to have something similar in the UK — £5, £20, and £100 (if they ever get about to printing them) notes could feature women and £10 and £50 notes could feature men.
Seeing as how the government, in its various forms, bows to PC pressure groups, no matter how ludicrous they be, is anybody prepared to place a bet as to when Stephen Lawrence’s visage will appear on a bank note?
Seems a nice girl. 😉
Whilst I can understand the need to update the security of bank notes I never did understand this preoccupation with constant change the UK has.
If anything works OK some total plonker has to fix and ruin it!
For the love of God leave things alone!
The dollar bill has hardly changed in my lifetime thank heavens.
CO: banknotes do need to be changed on occasion for security reasons. On average banknotes
last only about 20 years before they’re changed completely. In Germany DM notes were changes thrice since the end of the war, in Japan every 20 years a new series of notes is issues. In Canada it is also similar. I just wish that the Japanese concept would carry over more — if it was issued after 1948 it can be used at any store in the country even if the design was changed.
The US dollar is getting uglier and uglier. It was once bland but dignified, now it is just hideous. Pity, the US once issued beautiful banknotes and coins.