Austen on U.K. note a tale of cents, sensibility

LONDON — Two hundred years to the day after Jane Austen died, a new 10-pound note featuring an image of one of England’s most revered authors has been unveiled — right where she was buried.

At the unveiling Tuesday of the new “tenner” at Winchester Cathedral in southern England, Bank of England Gov. Mark Carney said the new note celebrates the “universal appeal” of Austen’s work.

Austen, whose novels include “Pride and Prejudice,” “Emma” and “Sense and Sensibility,” is considered one of the most perceptive chroniclers of English country life and mores in the Georgian era. Combining wit, romance and social commentary, her books have been adapted countless times for TV and film.

“Our banknotes serve as repositories of the country’s collective memory, promoting awareness of the United Kingdom’s glorious history and highlighting the contributions of its greatest citizens,” Carney said.

The new note, which is due to go into circulation Sept. 14, is the bank’s latest effort to make its notes more secure by using plastic, not paper.

It’s printed on polymer, just like the recently relaunched 5-pound note, which features Winston Churchill. A 20-pound note that will feature the landscape painter J.M.W. Turner is in the works and scheduled to be rolled out in 2020.

The new note also includes a tactile feature to assist the visually impaired.

Apart from Queen Elizabeth II, whose portrait is on all U.K. currency, Austen is only the third woman to be featured on a modern-day British bank note, after medical innovator Florence Nightingale and social reformer Elizabeth Fry. She was chosen after a campaign for more female representation.

As well as a portrait of Austen, the note features a quote from “Pride and Prejudice”: “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!”

Carney said that the quote was quintessential Austen: It could be read straight or enjoyed ironically.