Replacing a classic design, ie the White Fiver that dated to deep into the 19th century, was a tall order. This remarkably lovely note first released into circulation in 1957 features a lovely vignette of Helmeted Britannia and immediately became a new classic, in my opinion one of the most beautiful banknotes ever issued in England. The vignette, coupled with the stirringly menacing English lion makes for an impressionable and memorable design. This note is from the first issue, with the blue £5's on the reverse, the second issue of the note in the very early 1960's had the £5's lightened a bit. This note was replaced by 1967 with notes with the vignette of Queen Elizabeth. This note is P-370.

I've got one of these fantastic notes (although I think mine is the 1960's version) and, I Believe, the £1 & £10 notes were supposed to have been done in this style. However a few problems behind the scenes meant that only the £5 was released under the "B Series", shame really because as much as I like the C Series notes it's a shame this design was limited to the £5 note only

Britannia looks delighfully ravishing in this design! And, oh yes, the lion does look marvellously menacing....