The Royal Bank of Scotland £5 note facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Five pounds

(United Kingdom)
Value	£5 sterling
Width	125 mm
Height	65 mm
Security features	See-through window, raised print, security thread, image transition, UV fluorescence, microlettering
Paper type	Polymer
Years of printing	1727–present 1987–present (current design)
Obverse
Design	Nan Shepherd
Design date	2016
Reverse
Design	Two mackerel
Design date	2016

The Royal Bank of Scotland £5 note, often called a fiver, is a type of British money. It's a banknote, which is like a paper (or in this case, plastic) promise of money. This £5 note is the second smallest amount of money issued by The Royal Bank of Scotland. The newest version, made from a special plastic called polymer, came out in 2016. It shows the writer Nan Shepherd on the front and two mackerel fish on the back.

History of the £5 Note

Early Days of Scottish Banknotes

The Royal Bank of Scotland started making £5 notes way back in 1727. This was the same year the bank first opened! The very first banknotes were simple. They were printed in one color and only on one side.

For a long time, Scottish banks had their own rules about printing money. These rules were set by laws like the Banknote (Scotland) Act of 1845. Even though Scottish banknotes are not "legal tender" everywhere in Scotland (which means you can't always demand to pay with them), they are still real money. People generally accept them all over the United Kingdom. It's good to know that Scottish banknotes are just as safe as notes from the Bank of England.

Different £5 Note Designs Over Time

Unlike Bank of England notes, Scottish banknotes aren't taken out of use in the same way. This means you might still see different older versions of the Royal Bank of Scotland £5 note. However, the banks encouraged people to use or swap their old paper £5 notes before March 1, 2018.

The Ilay Series Notes

A special series of banknotes, called the Ilay series, first came out in 1987. The front of these notes shows a picture of Lord Ilay. He was the very first governor of The Royal Bank of Scotland. You can also see Lord Ilay's picture as a watermark when you hold the note up to the light.

Other cool designs on the Ilay notes include the bank's special symbol and logo. You can also see the front of Dundas House, which is the bank's main building in Edinburgh. There's even a pattern that looks like the ceiling inside the bank's main hall! On the back of all Ilay series notes, there's a picture of a castle. The £5 note in this series shows a picture of Culzean Castle.

Special Edition £5 Notes

Over the years, the Royal Bank of Scotland has made special £5 notes to celebrate important events. These have included:

• The Queen's Golden Jubilee (50 years on the throne).
• The 250th birthday of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club.
• The 400th anniversary of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
• A note celebrating the amazing career of American golfer Jack Nicklaus.

The New Polymer £5 Note

In 2015, the bank announced that a new plastic £5 note would be made. It came out in the second half of 2016. The new design was shown to everyone in April 2016.

The front of this new note features a portrait of the famous author Nan Shepherd. Next to her picture, you can see an image of the Cairngorms, which are beautiful mountains in Scotland. There's also a quote from Shepherd's book The Living Mountain. The back of the note shows two mackerel fish. Beside them, there's a line from a poem called The Choice by Sorley MacLean.

Designs of the £5 Note

Here's a quick look at the different designs of the Royal Bank of Scotland £5 note: