AVID coin collector don't just stop at coins, some even find rare bank notes – and you could be in the money too.
There are a number of £20 notes floating about that can score particularly high bids at online auctions, all because they have a quirky serial number.
For instance, a polymer £5 note with an early serial number sold for more than £50,000 on eBay in 2017.
Even when they were first introduced, fivers with the serial number AA01 fetched hundreds of pounds online.
With the current £20 notes having been in circulation for a couple of years, here's how to spot if you get your hands on a rare note and make a mint.
Early serial numbers
Banknotes that have very early serial numbers are often sought after by collectors. This is because not many of them tend to make it into circulation.
When the Bank of England issues a new note it donates those with significant numbers to the people and institutions involved in the development.
For example, the first note AA01 000001 is given to the Queen.
The bank also tends to donate lots of the earliest notes to charities for auction. But the Bank of England confirmed not all the early £20 notes were reserved, meaning some of the rarest AA notes are in circulation.
AA notes are the most valuable, but anything with an A in it could be worth more than the value of the note itself.
An AA01 £5 note sold on eBay for over £60,000 in 2017.
Rare coins and valuable notes – is yours worth a mint?
- Five rarest coins – do you have one?
- The 13 most valuable £2 coins in circulation
- How valuable are the rarest £1 coins?
- Most rare and valuable 50p coins in circulation
- Rare and most valuable 20p coins that could be worth up to £750
- Rarest 10p coins in circulation
- Rare 2p coins revealed
- How to check if you have a rare and valuable banknote
Consecutive serial numbers
Notes with consecutive serial numbers can also catch a collector's eye, particularly if the numbers are low.
If you can combine an early serial letter, with a consecutive number you could be onto a winner.
For instance if you get one with AA1234567, it's likely to be popular.
Two notes with the serial numbers AA01090561 and AA01090562 sold for more than £50 in March 2020.
To make a profit, people usually try and sell them on eBay or Facebook, sometimes making hundreds of pounds.
Special meanings in serial numbers
When the Jane Austen £5 notes came out in 2017 there was lots of interest in numbers that were linked to her life.
For instance, collectors hunted for the serial numbers 16 121775 and 18 071817 because they are the author's birth and death dates.
Also, the £20 notes released in 2020 feature artist JMW Turner, so serial numbers with his birth date – 1775 – could be a winner.
If you find one starting with an A that also includes his birth date that should be worth even more.
One special serial number to keep an eye out for is 1775 1851 which combines the painter's birth and death date.
A note starting with JT could be valuable in theory, but there would have to be a lot of notes printed to reach this, so the notes are unlikely to end up in circulation.
There are also sets of serial numbers that always prove popular regardless of who is on the note, for instance 007 for James Bond or AK47.
AK47 notes have been listed for as much as £160,000 but most have been selling for about £100.
How much is an AK47 £5 note worth and what are the Jane Austen fivers with the valuable serial numbers?
What do the rare new £10 notes look like and how can you tell if your tenner could make you rich? When is the new £20 note out, who is JMW Turner and when will the old ones go out of circulation?
Source: Read Full Article
