Darwin £10 note enters extinction on 1 March
The Darwin £10 note goes out like the dinosaurs on 1 March.
The Bank of England will withdraw legal tender status of the paper £10 note featuring Charles Darwin at 23:59 on Thursday 1 March 2018, making this the last day people can spend their paper £10 notes.
After 1 March 2018, businesses and the public no longer have to accept the Darwin £10 note as payment or in change and the new polymer note featuring Jane Austen will be the only £10 note with legal tender status. This note came into circulation on 14 September last year.
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Some banks and building societies may accept paper £10 notes after 1 March 2018 but the Bank of England has said that this is at their own discretion. It, however, will continue to exchange Darwin £10 notes for all time, as with any other Bank of England note that no longer has legal tender status.
As with the old £5 note and old £1 coins, its extinction could provide some financial benefit for charities. Some have already been asking people to consider donating their old £10 notes:
Next on the list is the £20 note. The new polymer £20 note will feature painter JMW Turner and comes into circulation in 2020.