Engraved Jane Austen £5 note sells for £5,000 – and there’s still one left to find
A RARE polymer £5 note engraved with a portrait of Jane Austen today sold for £5,000 at auction to raise funds for charity.
The plastic fiver sold for more than a THOUSAND times its original value after it was donated to BBC Children In Need by a pensioner who wanted the money to "help young people".
The Winston Churchill £5 note was one of five specially engraved by micro-artist Graham Short and are valued at £50,000 each.
Despite it's hefty estimate value, the note fetched a much lower price after auctioneers predicted that it would sell for between £5,000 and £10,000.
It was bought by a private bidder when it went under the hammer at Morton & Eden auctioneers shortly after 2pm today.
The valuable notes were part of a collaboration between the artist and the Tony Huggins-Haig Gallery in Kelso.
Each fiver features a miniature engraving of the nineteenth century author along with a different quote from some of her novels.
He then secretly released them into circulation by spending four of them in independent, family-run businesses up and down the UK, kicking off a Willy Wonka golden-ticket inspired treasure hunt.
A year on, where are they all now?
Northern Ireland - An act of kindness
Graham spent the note in Northern Ireland and it was found by a pensioner who ended up returning it to the Scotland based gallery with a handwritten letter.
In the letter - which was signed "J x" - the pensioner explained: "I don't need it at my time of life. Please use it to help young people."
The serial number is AM32 885552 and it features a quote from Pride and Prejudice: "To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love."
It sold for £5,000 - much less than its estimated £50,000 worth - at auction where it was sold to raise funds for BBC Children In Need.
QUIDS IN New plastic £10 notes selling for LESS than a tenner on eBay
Melton Mowbry, Leicester - Still at large
The last remaining fiver was used to pay for goods at Dickinson & Morris Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe in Melton Mowbry, Leicester.
The missing note entered circulation back in December 2016 and it's not been seen since.
How to spot the fifth engraved note
THE last engraved £5 note was spent in Melton Mowbry, Leicester, has now been in circulation for a year.
It's time to check your wallets to see if you've got the fiver. Here's what to look out for:
- You can spot the tiny engraving in the clear bit, to the right of Big Ben, when you're looking a the side of the note with the Queen's head on it. It's the other way around if you can see Churchill.
- The serial number of the missing note is AM32 885554, which can be found on the bottom right corner onthe Churchill side.
- We don't know exactly what the quote on this note is, it will be found in a circle around the portrait.
- Graham spent the valuable £5 note at Dickinson & Morris Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe in Melton Mowbry, Leicester. If you've been shopping around there since December last year then it could be lurking in your purse.
- While some of the notes were found not far from where they were spent, these were generally found within weeks. This note has been around for a year so who knows how far it's travelled.
We won't know the quote until the note is found but the serial number is AM32 885554.
We'd love to hear from you if you do find it. Drop us an email to money@the-sun.co.uk to let us know.
Edinburgh - Accidental festive fortune
The Scottish fiver turned up in a Christmas card send in Scotland last year - but the finder wants to remain anonymous.
It's not clear whether the person who sent the card knew the true worth of the fiver when they sent it.
According to the gallery, the recipient checked the note "on the off-chance" it was one of the valuable ones.
Wales - A gift from Grandma
Graham used this note to pay for a sausage and egg sandwich at Square Cafe in Blackwood, Caerphilly, which is the town where his mother grew up.
It only took a few days for the note to be found somewhere in South Wales by someone who wishes to remain anonymous.
But the finder did say that she will be giving it to her granddaughter as an investment for when she's older.
Bath - Donated to a museum
The fifth note was donated to the Jane Austen Centre in Bath, Somerset, by the artist himself to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the author's death.
The frame it's in has glass on both sides so onlookers can see the minuscule engraving.
These are the most valuable notes and coins
The new plastic fivers came into circulation in December 2016 and collectors have since seen their value soar.
Fivers with the serial number AK47 have also been fetching high prices on online auctions and here is how to tell if your fivers are worth a mint.
With more changes to the currency in store over the next few years there should be plenty more chances to turn your change into a small fortune.
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