The Bank of England has made contingency plans for a changeover to plastic bank notes, Sky News has confirmed.

Tender documents for a new contract to print money have included a clause allowing for the polymer-based currency.

A source has told Sky News the printing proviso is to "future proof" the bank's supply of money.

future proof：前瞻性

A number of countries already use plastic money, which can be more durable than traditional cotton-based paper notes.

Australia, Romania, Vietnam, Mexico and Malaysia are among those to have introduced polymer money.

The Australian $5 note lasts an average of 40 months whereas an English ￡5 note is worn out after an estimated six months.

Between 2003 and 2011 the Bank of England received claims for bank notes destroyed through washing totalling ￡747,000, and ￡8.625m for fire or flood damage money.

It also received claims for ￡946,000 for notes that had been eaten or chewed.

Claims for notes deemed to be "contaminated" topped ￡232m in the period, with the total figure for all damaged or mutilated money reaching ￡263m.

In addition to greater durability the plastic money can incorporate holograms and other security devices to thwart counterfeiters.

hologram：全息圖像

counterfeiter：貨幣偽造者

"The Bank of England is not doing its job properly if it does not take account any new security measures it can utilize to protect the currency," the source said.

The new printing contract will run from 2015 to 2025 or 2028.

The bank plans for a consultation period of at least 12 months ahead of any changeover, as cash and vending machines need mechanisms recalibrated.

vending machine：自動售貨機

A Bank of England spokesperson told Sky News: "It’s incumbent on the Bank, within our general research and development program to look at the pros and cons of various security features and substrates.

pros and cons：正反兩方面

"No decision has been made as yet regarding printing on polymer."

【新聞快訊】英國天空衛(wèi)視新聞臺（Sky News）證實說，英格蘭銀行計劃把紙幣更換成塑料鈔票。一份有關印刷貨幣新的競標合同中包括了印刷塑料貨幣的條款。在2003到2011年期間期間，因為5英鎊紙幣在洗衣機中被毀而讓英格蘭銀行已經收到了價值74.7萬英鎊的更換申請，另外有862.5萬英鎊的鈔票因為在失火中或者洪水中被損。價值94.6萬英鎊因為紙幣被吃掉或咬壞。

那些被“污染”的鈔票價值高達2.32億，而受損或者殘缺鈔票的價值共計達2.63億英鎊。除了經久耐用的特點之外，塑料鈔票還能植入很多防偽裝置，以防假幣的使用。

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