Bank of England Notes Find a New Life at Noonans
A unique Victorian £10 Bank of England note, possibly the only surviving private example, leads Noonans’ March auction with a £26,000 result.
Notes from the Bank of England returned to the public as collectibles at the Noonans Mayfair March 25 British and Irish Banknotes auction. One of the most highly watched issues up for sale was a £10 Bank of England note (lot 153). The excitement continued up to the gavel strike when it was won with a £26,000 bid. Featuring serial number K/7 30186, the rare issue is primarily fresh, with one small stain, and is in good, very fine condition.
“Late Victorian Bank of England notes are incredibly rare, and this £10 signed by the Chief Cashier, Horace Bowen, is likely the only surviving example of this denomination in private hands,” explains Head of the Banknote Department at Noonans, Andrew Pattison, in a press release for the auction. “It represented a very large sum of money at the time of issue—around £1,300. This was several months' wages for many people, and it is therefore likely that most people would have gone through life never even seeing a note like this.” For more information about this note and the other items for sale, visit noonans.co.uk.
All photographs are courtesy of Noonans Mayfair.
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