In a retail world filled with non-tactile touch screens and devices asking for pin numbers, cash can be one of the more accessible methods of payment for people with sight loss. But how do you tell bank notes apart when you’re blind or partially sighted?
iSightCornwall’s Dom Hall recently shared his tips and tricks as part of iSightCornwall’s Life Hacks video series.
He said: “It can be daunting trying to identify which bank note is which but there’s actually a really easy method. The Bank of England have added raised print to the words ‘Bank of England’ on the front of each note, which will help you identify which way the note is facing. Once you’ve got it facing you, there are a cluster of raised dots in the top left hand corner of the note which can help you work out which note it is.”
The £5 note
The five pound note is the smallest of the bank notes in Britain. It is unique because it has no clusters or dots in the top left corner. If the note feels entirely smooth then it is likely a £5 note.
If you have some sight then you may be able to identify the note by colour, it has a light blue section on both the front and back of the note. The front has an image of either the late Queen Elizabeth or the current monarch, King Charles and the back has an image of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The £10 Note
The £10 note is larger than the £5 but smaller than a £20 or £50 note. It has two clusters of raised dots in the top left hand corner on what is the front of the note. If you’re holding the note in your hands with the front facing you, you should be able to rub your thumb up and down the note on the left hand side and feel the clusters of dots.
If you have some sight, you may be able to identify the note by it’s copper, or orangey red, colouring. The front has an image of either the late Queen Elizabeth or the current monarch, King Charles and the back has an image of writer Jane Austin.
The £20 Note
The £20 note is larger than the £5 and £10 notes but smaller than a £50 note. It has three clusters of raised dots in the top left hand corner on what is the front of the note.
If you have some sight, you may be able to identify the note by its purple colouring. It has an image of either the late Queen Elizabeth or the current monarch, King Charles on the front and an image of the artist JMW Turner on the back.
The £50 Note
The £50 is much rarer and some shops refuse to accept them due to fears of forged notes or an inability to give change. The £50 is the largest of the notes and it has four clusters of raised dots in the top left corner on the front of the note.
It is identifiable by its scarlet, or pinky red, colouring and has an image of mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing on the back and the monarch on the front.
The Life Hack Video
If you would like to hear Dom narrate this information or watch the Life Hack video, it can be found below or on our YouTube Channel. Follow us there for more tips and tricks.
