From Paper Money to Plastic

The first credit cards were printed on paper, but it didn’t take long before credit cards made the transition to the more secure medium of plastic. Paper money has been slow to follow, but that transition too is well underway. Today the U.K. says goodbye to paper money with a £5 note made of plastic. In the U.S. paper bills look like they will be with us forever, but in fact, plastic is already part of the mix. High-denomination notes are woven with plastic security features that cover 4 percent of the width. Security considerations will lead to more changes which are likely to include more carefully selected artificial materials over time.