Guide to Detecting Counterfeit British Pound (GBP) Notes

How to Spot Fake GBP (£) Currency Notes

When exchanging currency for your international trip to the UK, it’s crucial to ensure you’re not carrying counterfeit GBP notes. Currently, there are four denominations of British Pound banknotes in circulation: £5, £10, £20, and £50. While the Bank of England has introduced secure polymer notes, it's still prudent to check any currency you receive. Taking a few moments to examine your banknotes can help you avoid unknowingly accepting fake currency.

Key Security Features of British Pound Bank Notes

Polymer Substrate:

Genuine British Pound banknotes are printed on polymer, a thin and flexible plastic material. The use of polymer enhances the banknotes' resistance to tearing, soiling, and fading, ultimately increasing their lifespan and also making them more difficult to counterfeit. Counterfeit notes may be made using regular paper or lower-quality plastic materials, thus feeling either too smooth, too thick, or lacking the crispness of an authentic note.

The See-Through Window and Metallic Image:

A prominent security feature on all GBP banknotes is a large, transparent see-through window. Within this window is a portrait of either King Charles III or Queen Elizabeth II, along with the numerical value of the note and the words 'Bank of England' printed twice around the edge. Additionally, a metallic image is positioned over the window. The colour of this varies depending on the denomination: it is gold on the front of £5 and £10 notes, gold and blue on the front of the £20 note, and gold and green on the front of the £50 note.

The Hologram Image Change and 3D Coronation Crown:

Below the main see-through window on the front of all British Pound banknotes, there is a silver foil patch that contains a hologram. When the note is tilted from side to side, this hologram displays a dynamic effect, with the words changing between the numerical value of the note (e.g., 'Five', 'Ten', 'Twenty', 'Fifty') and the word 'Pounds'.

Raised Print (Intaglio):

Genuine GBP banknotes incorporate intaglio printing, which results in raised print that can be felt by touch. On the front of the notes, this raised print is present on the words 'Bank of England' and in the bottom right corner. For the £20 and £50 denominations, raised print can also be felt over the smaller second see-through window located in the bottom right corner.

Silver Foil Patch:

All denominations of the British Pound feature a silver foil patch on the front of the banknote, situated above the main see-through window. This patch contains a detailed three-dimensional image of the coronation crown. The incorporation of a 3D element within the silver foil adds another layer of security that is difficult for counterfeiters to reproduce accurately.

Metallic Foil Patch on the Back:

On the back of each GBP banknote is a metallic foil patch. The colour of this patch varies depending on the denomination: it is green on the £5 note, copper on the £10 note, purple on the £20 note, and red on the £50 note. These distinct colours for each denomination provide an additional visual aid for quick authentication.

Ultraviolet (UV) Features:

Under a good quality ultraviolet (UV) light source, genuine British Pound banknotes exhibit a specific fluorescent feature. On the front of the note, the numerical value of the denomination appears in bright red and green. Counterfeit notes may either not fluoresce at all under UV light, or they might show a different fluorescent pattern or colour. In some cases, the entire counterfeit note might glow brightly under UV light.

A Detailed Guide to Identifying Counterfeit GBP Currency by Denomination

While the above mentioned security features are common to all denominations, each British Pound banknote also possesses unique security elements that help in its identification and the detection of counterfeits.

Denomination	Security Feature	How to Identify (Genuine vs. Fake)
£5	Polymer Substrate	Crisp, flexible plastic vs. waxy paper or low-quality plastic.
	See-Through Window	Clear portrait, 'Bank of England' text, gold foil on front, silver on back. Fakes might be opaque or poorly printed.
	Hologram	Changes between 'Five' and 'Pounds' when tilted, 3D crown. Fakes might be static or lack 3D effect.
	Raised Print	Feel on 'Bank of England' and around '5'. Fakes might lack texture.
	Silver Foil Patch	3D coronation crown above window. Fakes might be flat or poorly defined.
	Back Foil Patch	Circular, green with 'BLENHEIM'. Fakes might have the wrong colour or missing text.
	UV Feature	Number '5' glows bright red and green on a dull background. Fakes might not glow or show different colours.
	Colour-Changing Border	Purple to green when tilted. Fakes might be static.
	Raised Dots	None in the top left corner. Fakes might incorrectly have dots.
£10	Polymer Substrate	Crisp, flexible plastic vs. waxy paper or low-quality plastic.
	See-Through Window	Clear portrait, 'Bank of England' text, gold foil on front, silver on back. Fakes might be opaque or poorly printed.
	Hologram	Changes between 'Ten' and 'Pounds' when tilted, 3D crown. Fakes might be static or lack 3D effect.
	Raised Print	Feel on 'Bank of England' and around '10'. Fakes might lack texture.
	Silver Foil Patch	3D coronation crown above window. Fakes might be flat or poorly defined.
	Back Foil Patch	Book-shaped, copper with 'JA'. Fakes might have the wrong colour or missing letters.
	UV Feature	Number '10' glows bright red and green on a dull background. Fakes might not glow or show different colours.
	Colour-Changing Quill	Purple to orange when tilted. Fakes might be static.
	Raised Dots	Two clusters of raised dots in the top left corner. Fakes might have the wrong number or placement.
£20	Polymer Substrate	Crisp, flexible plastic vs. waxy paper or low-quality plastic.
	See-Through Window	Clear portrait, 'Bank of England' text, gold and blue foil on front, silver on back. Fakes might be opaque or poorly printed.
	Second Window	Small clear window in bottom corner. Fakes might be missing it.
	Hologram	Changes between 'Twenty' and 'Pounds' when tilted, 3D crown. Fakes might be static or lack 3D effect.
	Raised Print	Feel on 'Bank of England' and over a smaller window. Fakes might lack texture.
	Silver Foil Patch	3D coronation crown above the main window. Fakes might be flat or poorly defined.
	Back Foil Patch	Round, purple with 'T'. Fakes might have the wrong colour or missing letter.
	UV Feature	Number '20' glows bright red and green on a dull background. Fake might not glow or show different colours.
	Raised Dots	Three clusters of raised dots in the top left corner. Fake might have the wrong number or placement.
£50	Polymer Substrate	Crisp, flexible plastic vs. waxy paper or low-quality plastic.
	See-Through Window	Clear portrait, 'Bank of England' text, gold and green foil on front, silver on back. Fakes might be opaque or poorly printed.
	Second Window	Small clear window in bottom corner. Fakes might be missing.
	Hologram	Changes between 'Fifty' and 'Pounds' when tilted, 3D crown. Fakes might be static or lack 3D effect.
	Raised Print	Feel on 'Bank of England' and over a smaller window. Fakes might lack texture.
	Silver Foil Patch	3D coronation crown above main window. Fakes might be flat or poorly defined.
	Black Foil Patch	Metallic, red with 'AT'. Fakes might have the wrong colour or missing letters.
	UV Feature	Number '50' glows bright red and green on a dull background. Fakes might not glow or show different colours.
	Gold Foil Squares	Change between '50' and '£' when tilted. Fakes might show no change.
	Raised Dots	Four clusters of raised dots in the top left corner. Fakes might have the wrong number or placement.

The £5 Banknote

When the £5 banknote is tilted, a coloured border around the edge of the see-through window changes from purple to green.
The '£' symbol within the see-through window also exhibits this colour change.
On the back of the note, there is a circular, green foil patch containing the word 'BLENHEIM'.
Note that the £5 note is the only polymer banknote that does not feature raised dots in the top left corner for the visually impaired.

The £10 Banknote

The £10 banknote features a colour-changing border at the side of the see-through window, which shifts from purple to orange when the note is tilted.
On the back, there is a book-shaped, copper foil patch containing the letters 'JA'.
For the visually impaired, the £10 note has two clusters of raised dots in the top left corner as a tactile identifier.

The £20 Banknote

The £20 banknote has a second, smaller see-through window located in the bottom corner of the note.
On the back, a round, purple foil patch contains the letter 'T'.
Note that the £20 note has three clusters of raised dots in the top left corner.

The £50 Banknote

The £50 banknote also features a second, smaller see-through window in the bottom corner. On the back, a metallic, red foil patch contains the letters 'AT'.
Another unique security feature of the £50 note is the presence of two gold foil squares on the front, where the images change between the number '50' and the '£' symbol when the note is tilted.
For the visually impaired, the £50 note has four clusters of raised dots in the top left corner.

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