<Tr> <Th> Design </Th> <Td> Jane Austen </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Design date </Th> <Td> 14 September 2017 </Td> </Tr> <P> The Bank of England £ 10 note, also known as a tenner, is a banknote of the pound sterling . It is the second - lowest denomination of banknote issued by the Bank of England . The current polymer note, first issued in 2017, bears the image of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse and the image of author Jane Austen on the reverse . It will fully replace the cotton paper note featuring a portrait of naturalist Charles Darwin, first issued in 2000, in early 2018 . </P> <P> Ten pound notes were introduced by the Bank of England for the first time in 1759 as a consequence of gold shortages caused by the Seven Years' War . The earliest notes were handwritten, and were issued as needed to individuals . These notes were written on one side only and bore the name of the payee, the date, and the signature of the issuing cashier . With the exception of the Restriction Period between 1797 and 1821, when the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars caused a bullion shortage, these notes could be exchanged in full, or in part, for an equivalent amount of gold when presented at the bank . If redeemed in part, the banknote would be signed to indicate the amount that had been redeemed . From 1853 printed notes replaced handwritten notes, with the declaration "I promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of ten pounds" replacing the name of the payee . This declaration remains on Bank of England banknotes to this day . A printed signature of one of three cashiers appeared on the printed notes, though this was replaced by the signature of the Chief Cashier from 1870 onward . </P>

When did the old 10 pound note come out