Set of banknotes one British pounds with portrait of King Charles III. was sold at auction for £914.127 (US$1,17 million), which will be donated to charity, he writes “CNB”.
The notes, worth almost £78.000, are among the first to be issued with a portrait of the new king, and were put into circulation in June. Banknotes are in denominations of £5, £10, £20 and £50. A set of £50 notes sold for £26.000, breaking the previous Bank of England note sale record.
Then comes the £10 auction where just one note sold for £17.000, serial number HB01 00002. Collectors look for notes with the lowest possible serial number, as close as possible to 00001, which is why they pay such sums.
The auction was organized by the Spink auction house in London. Sarah John, executive director of banking at the Bank of England, said she was delighted that the sale raised £914.127, which will be donated to 10 charities chosen by the Bank of England. These are the Childhood Trust, The Trussell Trust , Shout, Carers UK, Demelza, WWF-UK, The Brain Tumor Charity, London’s Air Ambulance Charity, Child Bereavement UK and The Samaritans.
There are currently more than 4,6 billion Bank of England notes in circulation, worth almost £82 billion.
The Bank of England began issuing banknotes in the 17th century, but Charles’ mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, is the first British monarch whose portrait, in 1960, was printed on the £1 note.
