Jane Austen to Appear on Ten Pound Note in 2017

Posted on July 29, 2013

The Guardian reports that the Bank of England has confirmed that Jane Austen will be the face of the next ten pounds note.

The £10 note is expected to be issued in 2017. Jane Austen will replace Charles Darwin on the note. The note also carries the quote, "I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!"

There was an outcry in England and an online petition after the Bank of England said it would replace prison reformer Elizabeth Fry on the 5 pound note with Winston Churchill in 2016. This meant there would be no women on English bank notes other than the Queen.

The bank came up with the idea to use Jane Austen to appease critics. Bank of England governor Mark Carney said in a statement, "Jane Austen certainly merits a place in the select group of historical figures to appear on our banknotes. Her novels have an enduring and universal appeal and she is recognised as one of the greatest writers in English literature."