Rare world banknotes sell for millions at auction!
Spink and Son Ltd recently held an auction of nearly 2,000 rare world banknotes.
The Auction, held in London, included notes from every country in the world, even some that no longer exist, dating from the mid-19th century to the modern era.
The auction proved hugely popular with collectors, with total proceeds of the sale coming in at over £1.6 million!
Five banknotes sold for over £20,000 each!
The three notes that sold for the most money were all issued by The Government of the Straits Settlements. These were a group of British territories located in South-east Asia, established in 1826, which included Singapore.
Government of the Straits Settlements – sold for £61,000
This note, issued in 1919, features George V and had a face value of $10,000. (Image: SPINK)
Government of the Straits Settlements – sold for £34,000
This note was issued in 1909 with a face value of $100 (Image: SPINK)
Government of the Straits Settlements – sold for £22,000
This note was issued in 1930 with a face value of $50 dollars. it features an effigy of King George V (Image: SPINK)
The other two notes to sell for over £20,000 were issued in New zealand and Iraq.
Reserve Bank of New Zealand – sold for £20,000
This banknote was issued in 1934 with a face value of £50 and features the Maori King Towhiao (Image: SPINK)
Government of Iraq – sold for £20,000
This was issued by the Government of Iraq in 1931 with a face value of 100 dinars (Image: SPINK)
In this remarkable auction 17 notes sold for over £10,000 highlighting the amazing buoyancy of the banknote collector’s market.
Jane Austen Polymer £10 banknote charity auction
Don’t forget that Spink and Son Ltd are holding the Jane Austen Polymer £10 banknote auction tomorrow.
The lowest serial number available is AA01 00010 and is estimated to sell for between £2,000 and £3,000.
There are a number of other lots with significantly lower guide prices, ranging from £200 to £400.
You could argue that this is a lot of money for a £10 note, however the winning bidder will own a genuine piece of British history, so i can understand why interest will be high.
The best news of all is that all proceeds from the auction will go to help 3 fantastic charities: Candlelighters, Haven House Children’s Hospice and Macmillan Cancer Support.
Why you should be collecting £5 Coins
We’re often asked by Change Checkers what can they collect once they’ve completed their collections of 50ps, £1s and £2s.
Quite simply, there’s only one answer. £5 coins. These are my reasons why:
1. A Treasure Hunt
In the past, collectors were able to get £5 coins from banks and post offices, but nowadays some of the older designs are like gold-dust. And more often than not, new UK £5 issues are snapped up by collectors on release, so it can be quite a challenge tracking down every single one for a complete collection. You can source online, in auctions and of course from Change Checker! We’ve built up some superb stock over the years which we are now making available to collectors.
2. When less is more
In this case – interest. It’s obvious that popular coin issues create instant and on-going demand for a coin, but the same can be said for ‘less interesting’ coin designs. Let me explain…
This may come as a surprise, but a coin that is issued with a less interesting theme or design and is not initially popular with collectors, can be a real hidden gem for coin collections. This is because the less coins that are sold, the lower the final number of units that are available to future collectors.
But whilst most collectors would shy away from unpopular themes, it is these very coins that are likely to become the most sought after in years to come. And the 2011 Prince Philip £5 coin is a prime example…
Back in 2011 a UK £5 coin was issued by The Royal Mint in celebration of the 90th birthday of Prince Philip.
The coins design featured a specially commissioned portrait of Philip by Mark Richards FRBS. Just 18,730 of these coins were struck in Brilliant Uncirculated presentation packs making it one of the rarest £5 coins ever.
And because of this, the coin is extremely sought after by collectors and is virtually impossible to get hold of on the secondary market.
3. Only available for a limited time
As you probably already know, coins with a lower mintage are often the most sought-after by collectors in years to come. And the coins with popular themes are timeless pieces of numismatic history that only become more and more desireable as time passes.
£5 coins are only available for a limited time and when you add to this the intense interest in the event the coin is commemorating (usually important royal events), you have a hugely collectable coin, sought after by collectors from all over the world.
4. Historically valuable
One of the key points Change Checkers look out for when deciding which coins to add to their collection, is the possibility that the value of that coin will increase and we’ve seen it happen many times before with circulation coins. The Kew Gardens 50p for example.
One thing you can be sure of though is the historical interest of £5 coins will be worth more to future generations than the £5 face value now. When you take all the above points into account, there is no doubt that the importance of £5 coins ensures the coins remain sought-after and collectable.
So do you have any £5 coins in your collection? Let us know via Facebook, Twitter or leave a comment below!
Interested in finding out if you own one of the rarest £5 coins? Click here to find out more>>
Exclusive £15 SAVING – Own the FIRST EVER UK £5
The UK’s FIRST EVER £5 coin was fittingly issued to celebrate the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
A limited number of these are available to our collectors at the exclusive discounted price of JUST £9.99 (+p&p) – that’s a £15 SAVING.
Click here to secure your Queen Mother 90th Birthday £5 for just £9.99 (+p&p)
New UK £5 coin issued to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70th Wedding Anniversary
On the 20th November, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh will celebrate their Platinum Wedding Anniversary – that’s an incredible 70 years of marriage (or 25,568 days to be exact) and a first in British royal history.
Her Majesty the Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh at their Wedding in 1947
In honour of the occasion, The Royal Mint issued a brand new £5 coin – featuring a specially commissioned double portrait of the couple.
The coin marks the longest marriage in royal history, and a very personal milestone for the couple. But it’s also the RAREST EVER Royal anniversary and is of huge significance to collectors around the world.
The incredibly rare anniversary few of us know about
Although there are no official statistics to back it up, it seems likely that only around 30 couples will join the Queen and Prince Philip in celebrating their Platinum Wedding Anniversary this year. Or to put it another way – just 60 people in the UK will mark 70 years of marriage in 2017 – that literally makes each of them one in a million!
The Royal Mint has commissioned John Bergdahl to create the reverse design of the royal couple on horseback while the obverse features a special conjoined portrait by Etienne Millner.
The royal couple have a love of horses so it is only fitting that the coin depicts the Queen riding her favourite horse ‘Burmese’ with her husband Prince Philip by her side. The special conjoined portrait of Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness Prince Philip on the obverse has been designed by Etienne Millner, a leading figurative sculptor.
So not only does the new UK £5 coin commemorate this incredibly rare milestone, the coin is also one of the most historically important coins issued during Her Majesty’s reign.
For the Queen and Prince Philip their Platinum Wedding Anniversary is the pinnacle of their long list of incredible milestones, and this coin is sure to be sought after by collectors all over the world for years to come.
2017 UK Platinum Wedding CERTIFIED BU £5
To mark the longest marriage in royal history, The Royal Mint issued a brand new UK £5 coin.
The Platinum Wedding £5 coin is protectively encapsulated and Certified as superior Brilliant Uncirculated quality, so you know your coin will be protected forever and guaranteed by its Certified Hologram.