The new ‘plastic money’ introduced in Britain on Tuesday is made of strong polymer and good enough to handle a trip through the washing machine without shredding like the paper cash it is replacing.
The new 5-pound ($6.60) bill has got the latest anti-counterfeit and security features.
Bank of England officials insist that compared to the paper cash, the plastic money will be cleaner, safer and stronger.
But it's not all new and modern: The portrait on the new fiver depicts wartime leader Winston Churchill, still one of Britain's most revered statesmen.
Some 440 million of the new notes will be phased in, to be foerllowed in the coming years by new 10-pound and 20-pound plastic bills.
Paper 5-pound bills will be usable until May 5.
(With AP inputs)
