Not everybody is happy with Jane Austen’s ‘makeover’ on the new £10 note

2017 marks 200 years since the death of Jane Austen– one of the best-loved English novelists of all time. And to celebrate such an inspirational female figure, both The Royal Mint and the Bank of England have chosen to honour her on a brand new coin and bank note this year.

In fact, this is the first time ever that someone has featured on a circulation coin and banknote at the same time– other than the reigning monarch.

But, all is not well. In an era where airbrushing celebrity photos is par for the course it is perhaps surprising that there has been such uproar regarding Jane Austen’s portrait on the new £10 note.

A portrait of Jane Austen, considered a genuine likeness, compared to her portrait on the new £10 note.

However, many people are upset that she appears to have had the Photoshop treatment; altering her real image to one ‘better suited’ to this modern age. With some even going as far to say she has been made into a Disney princess. Although the difference is not drastic, it is clear that a few minor tweaks have been made.

It seems as though it is not a good idea to mess with the appearance of such a well loved English icon.

We’d certainly be interested to hear your thoughts on the matter, let us know by answering our poll.

 

Your favourite coin design of 2017 revealed!

We know how much you love a new coin design so earlier this month we asked you to vote for your favourite 2017 release.

This turned into a hotly contested 3 horse race between the Jane Austen £2, the Sir Isaac Newton 50p and the WWI Aviation £2 coin. But there could only be one winner and the coin you chose was…

THE SIR ISAAC NEWTON 50p!   

Sir Isaac Newton is widely recognised as one of the most influential scientists of all time and a key figure in the scientific revolution. He changed our understanding of mathematics and physics, redefined the way we see the world and shaped the security of our currency in his role as Master of the Mint. Designed by Aaron West, this 50p coin has been issued to commemorate the achievements of Sir Isaac Newton and remembers the legacy he left.


In total there were over 900 votes with only 29 votes separating the top 3:


Here’s a full breakdown of the results so you can see how the other designs fared:


If you’re interested in coin collecting, our Change Checker web app is completely free to use and allows users to:

– Find and identify the coins in their pocket
– Collect and track the coins they have
– Swap their spare coins with other Change Checkers

Sign up today at: www.changechecker.org/app

Poll: which is your favourite 2017 coin design?

2017 is certainly an exciting year for Change Checkers with The Royal Mint releasing 9 new coins into circulation, each with their own distinctive design. We know that you love a new design so we thought we’d ask, which is your favourite? Let us know by voting in our poll below.

Poll Now closed. CLICK HERE TO REVEAL THE WINNER!

For more information about the 2017 coin series, check out our blog.


The 2017 Change Checker Commemorative Coin Set

 

If you can’t wait to find these coins in your change you can add the 2017 Change Checker Commemorative Coin Set to your collection today>>