Here's a first look at the new £5, Britain's most advanced bank note ever

A new £5 note officially comes into circulation in the United Kingdom on Tuesday, marking the first use of plastic in the history of British currency.

Dubbed "The New Fiver" by the Bank of England, the was first unveiled by BoE governor Mark Carney at a ceremony in June, but it now officially available for British citizens to use.

The note features an image of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill alongside one of his most famous quotes: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat," on one side, and an image of Queen Elizabeth II on the other.

The use of polymer - a form of plastic - marks the end of 320 years of the use of cotton paper in Britain's bank notes. It has been introduced to increase the durability of the notes, as they are now waterproof and harder to tear. The plastic £5 notes are also more difficult to counterfeit than paper ones and have been manufactured by British banknote maker De La Rue.

Business Insider picked up some of the new fivers on Tuesday to see exactly what they're like, and had a go at burning, tearing, and submerging them in water. This is what we found: