10 Pounds - Elizabeth II Series C, portrait

The Series C £10 introduced a portrait of the Queen for the first time on a Bank of England note of this denomination — a significant break from the purely allegorical imagery that had dominated high-value notes since the 19th century. Reynolds Stone, better known as a wood engraver and letterer, cut the Queen's portrait used across the Series C issues; his work here was adapted from a photograph rather than a life sitting.

Replacement notes within this series carry the prefix M — unusually transparent documentation of substitution printing for a Bank of England issue of the period.