Great-Britain's national bank, the Bank of England, will issue the country's new banknotes, the 5-, 10-, 20- and 50-pound notes, featuring the portrait of King Charles III, on the 5^th of June in 2024. If you can't wait until then, you can see the banknotes in an exhibition similar to the Money Museum from the 28^th of February.

The Bank of England Museum will be displaying banknotes printed with the portrait of King Charles in a temporary exhibition entitled 'The Future of Money', opening on the 28^th of February. They will be displayed alongside a Roman gold bar and cutting-edge technology used for digital currency. The museum is similar to the Hungarian Money Museum in that it explains how money works and how it will change in the future. The exhibition will be on display in central London until the September of 2025.

As it is widely known, the front of the previous banknotes in circulation featured the image of the former monarch, Elizabeth II, which will also remain legal tender after the new banknotes are issued. The reverse of the banknotes will remain unchanged.
Environmental protection is an important factor for both the King and the Bank, which is why the existing banknotes will remain in use and the new ones will be printed only to replace worn-out banknotes and to meet the general increase in demand for banknotes.

The decision to introduce polymer banknotes in the UK in 2016, which are made of polypropylene plastic, is also a move to protect the environment. One of the main reasons for switching to polymer is to improve the durability of the banknotes. This means fewer notes need to be scrapped, and they are estimated to last five years, two and a half times longer than the previously used paper versions. They also have the advantage of being easier to clean, harder to tear and resistant to moisture and heat. Also, a feature of polymer technology is the transparent security window (which also features the image of the King) on all four banknotes, which is in fact similar to the watermark on paper banknotes.

An interesting development is that the banknote shows a portrait of King Charles from the front, not in profile. But the most striking difference from previous banknotes is that Charles is not wearing a crown.
To the delight of numismatists and collectors, the Bank of England is holding an auction of the newly released King Charles III banknotes. Some of the low serial numbers will be available at this auction. The auction will be conducted by auction house Spink & Son when the banknotes start getting issued. It may be worth investing in these lots, as their value could increase significantly in the future. The proceeds of the auction will be donated to charity.