Sir Winston Churchill is to appear on the back of the new Bank of England £5 note.
Elizabeth Fry, the 19th century prison reformer, has appeared on it since 2001, but she is to be replaced by the great wartime leader in 2016. He will become the first politician of the modern era to appear on a banknote.
Hero: Sir Winston is regarded as the man who saved Britain from the clutches of Hitler's Nazi Germany
Churchill was also the first commoner to feature on a British coin - the 1965 crown or five-shilling piece.
Other people to appear on the Bank of England £5 note include the Duke of Wellington (between 1971 and 1991, the only other PM to appear on a banknote) and George Stephenson.
Honour: How the new Bank of England £5 note is to appear when issued in 2016
Prison reformer Elizabeth Fry has appeared on the £5 note since 2001
Elizabeth Fry, the 19th century prison reformer, has appeared on it since 2001, but she is to be replaced by the great wartime leader in 2016. He will become the first politician of the modern era to appear on a banknote.
The design will feature a renowned portrait of the prime minister in defiant pose, taken by photographer Yousuf Karsh in December 1941.
Behind him is a view of the Houses of Parliament, with the hands on Big Ben showing three o'clock.
Bank of England Governor Sir Mervyn King made the announcement earlier today during an event at Chartwell, Churchill's former home in Kent, attended by members of his family.
It reflects the approximate time of a statement to the House of Commons on May 13 1940 when he famously told MPs: 'I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.'
The quote itself is also shown on the design.
Hero: Sir Winston is regarded as the man who saved Britain from the clutches of Hitler's Nazi Germany
A background image shows the Nobel Prize for literature, with citation, awarded in 1953 to Churchill - who apart from being a politician was a prolific historical writer (amongst other things he wrote the four-volume "A History of the English-Speaking Peoples").
Sir Mervyn said: 'Our banknotes acknowledge the life and work of great Britons. Sir Winston Churchill was a truly great British leader, orator and writer. Above that, he remains a hero of the entire free world.
'His energy, courage, eloquence, wit and public service are an inspiration to us all. I am proud to announce that he will appear on our next banknote.'
Churchill was also the first commoner to feature on a British coin - the 1965 crown or five-shilling piece.
Other people to appear on the Bank of England £5 note include the Duke of Wellington (between 1971 and 1991, the only other PM to appear on a banknote) and George Stephenson.
Bank of England banknotes are only issued in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland each issue their own banknotes and, although they can be used to buy things, are not actually legal tender anywhere in the UK, even in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Honour: How the new Bank of England £5 note is to appear when issued in 2016
Prison reformer Elizabeth Fry has appeared on the £5 note since 2001