Britons are being encouraged to check their purses and wallets for rare £5 notes that could potentially be worth a significant sum of money. In 2016, micro-engraver Graham Short produced 10 special £5 notes, each featuring intricate portraits, with an insurance valuation of £50,000 per note.
The initial collection of four notes showcased a portrait of Jane Austen, released in 2017 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the author’s passing. Three of these notes have been located, including one presented to the Jane Austen House Museum. However, the final missing note, identified by the serial number AM32 885554, was last used in Melton Mowbray and remains undiscovered.
More recently, six £5 notes featuring Harry Kane were circulated, potentially valued at over £20,000 each. Short’s inspiration for the Kane series stemmed from England’s World Cup performance, where Kane secured the Golden Boot for being the tournament’s top scorer.
Short explained, “I’ve created six notes – one for each of his goals – for Harry himself, the FA, and four for circulation across the UK and Ireland, similar to the Jane Austen notes.” While one note was given to Harry Kane and another to the Football Association, the remaining four were spent in various locations, with the intention of one reaching Northern Ireland. To date, none of the Harry Kane notes have been found.
These rare £5 notes could fetch up to £20,000, with collectors willing to pay a significant amount, comparable to a house deposit, for these sought-after items.
Meanwhile, collectors are actively searching for £5 notes with specific serial numbers online, hoping to enhance their value. This trend has led to a surge in £5 notes being traded on platforms like eBay. Particularly desirable are notes with the ‘AA01’ prefix, denoting they are from the initial batch ever produced.
In addition to the ‘AA01’ notes, those with the serial number ‘AK47’ have garnered attention, with listings reaching as high as £160,000, although most have sold for around £100.