Tenner sent up into space
Children in eastern Perthshire have been reaching for the stars by sending the new £10 note up into space.
The pupils at Newhill Primary School and St Stephen’s RC Primary School in Blairgowrie marked the introduction of the new polymer Royal Bank of Scotland £10 note by sending one 38,5000 metres into the earth’s atmosphere, with the help of a team of scientists.
The rocket launch pays homage to Mary Somerville, the Scottish scientist and astronomer featured on the new banknote, which went into circulation on Wednesday, October 4.
The new banknotes are 15% smaller than the previous paper notes, and are expected to last around two and a half times longer than the £10 notes currently in circulation. The new note is also the first Scottish note to have braille on it, and is said to be much more difficult to fake.
Malcolm Buchanan, chairman of the bank’s Scotland Board, said:“At the Royal Bank of Scotland, we feel that a banknote’s value is more than just the figure printed across the front - it is our symbol which lives in people’s pockets and touches everyday lives.
“This is our most advanced note yet and we wanted the public to help influence its design. It is fitting that the public vote led to the choice of Mary Somerville, a person who helped advance our understand of the world which surrounds us and the stars above us.”