Visitors to a new exhibition will have the chance to see the new King Charles banknotes before they enter circulation later this year.
The Future of Money exhibition, which opens on February 28 and runs to September next year, will include the freshly printed polymer notes that were commissioned after Charles took the throne, and aren’t expected to enter circulation until the middle of the year.
It will also look at how digital currencies threaten the future of cash with exhibits including the gold bar that was hidden underground for 1,600 years as well as items made from recycled banknotes and gold.
Museum curator Jennifer Adam said: “The way we handle money has completely transformed in the last century, from gold and silver coins to the tap of a smartphone.
“Our new exhibition will show how money is continuing to change, and what this means for people of all ages. We begin to find out about money using real cash as children - from pretend shops to being the banker when playing Monopoly - but how do we learn to manage money when it’s in a digital form? As a starting point for information about money and understanding the economy, this is the place to visit.”
The museum is at the bank’s home in the City of London and is free to enter.
The bank, which dates its beginnings back to 1694, is the UK's central bank.
