After Thursday 1 March, retailers will no longer accept the old paper £10 note featuring Charles Darwin which has been in circulation since 2000.

Banks and retailers started receiving the new polymer £10 notes featuring author Jane Austen on 14 September and currently, both notes are in circulation.

The Bank of England confirmed it will withdraw legal tender status of the old Darwin note at 23:59pm on Thursday 1 March as it continues to remove these notes from circulation.

However, they can still be exchanged at the Bank of England in London after the cut-off point and you may be able to swap them at your bank, though they’re not obliged to accept them.

But it’s worth raiding those piggy banks, checking coat pockets and the back of the sofa now. HM Treasury reveals there were more than 211 million Charles Darwin £10 notes still in circulation.

A new £20 polymer note featuring artist J.M.W Turner will follow in 2020.