Actually there’s nothing particularly funny about forged bank notes – but that’s exactly what turned up in the village shop earlier this week. The new “polymer” fiver was designed with a number of new security features to make it extremely hard to counterfeit. These include the see-through window and the foil Elizabeth Tower which is gold on the front of the note and silver on the back. Even so, counterfeit copies are already in circulation – as you can see below.

When you see it compared to a genuine note, it’s easy to see which is the fake. The most obvious difference is the missing Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben). It’s also far more scuffed, the colour has worn off in places and there are no silver foil elements. There are likely to be many more like this in circulation – so remember to be vigilant!

This is the Bank of England’s official guide to spotting a real new £5 note:

• Check the see-through window and the portrait of the Queen.
• Check the Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben) is gold on the front of the note and silver on the back.
• Check the foil patch below the window changes from ‘Five’ to ‘Pounds’ when the note is tilted.
• Check the coronation crown appears 3D.
• Check the ultra-violet feature.
• Check the circular green foil patch on the back of the note which contains the word BLENHEIM.