New £10 Note Serial Numbers Could Be Worth Far More Than Their Face Value

We'll be making a note of these serial numbers.
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Brits have been warned to check their change carefully after it was predicted that some of the new £10 notes could be worth thousands.

The new tenner, which features Jane Austen and will enter circulation on 14 September, is the second polymer note introduced this year.

When the first, the £5 note, was released at the end of last year, notes with certain serial numbers became collectors items, with some appearing on eBay for as much as £5,000.

The new £10 note featuring Jane Austen, which marks the 200th anniversary of her death
The new £10 note featuring Jane Austen, which marks the 200th anniversary of her death
PA Wire/PA Images
The tenner is the second polymer note to enter circulation
The tenner is the second polymer note to enter circulation
PA Wire/PA Images

The blog suggests numbers with links to Austen’s life will be valuable - 6 121775 and 18 071817 to represent her birth and death date, 17 751817 as her birth and death dates combined and 28 011813, the date that Pride and Prejudice was published.

The first notes to be printed will feature the number AA01, so those are worth holding onto.

Change Checker adds: “The rest of the AA prefix notes will be interesting to collectors but not necessarily worth a huge amount, although that said, some £5 notes did sell for around £20 last year – four times their face value.

“There may well be a rush to find the AK47 serial numbers again and James Bond 007 will likely be popular.

“Consecutively numbered notes are always interesting to collectors too, one man sold three consecutive AA01 notes for £456.”

The Bank of England will hold a charity auction of new notes on 6 October, where collectors will have the chance to bid for notes which feature some highly-prized numbers.

Jane Austen fans may be keen to get their hands on notes with serial numbers related to the author
Jane Austen fans may be keen to get their hands on notes with serial numbers related to the author
PA Wire/PA Images

Where can I get a new-style £10 note?

The Bank of England hasn’t specified where exactly the new notes will first appear but they will start to filter into circulation through ATMs, banks and businesses.

According to the Cambridge News, ATMs in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Hull and Cardiff were among the first to stock the new £5 notes, so those cities could be your best bet if you’re itching to get your hands on a new tenner.

What features will the new note have?

  • A series of raised dots in the top left-hand corner, developed in conjunction with the RNIB, to help visually impaired people identify the note. You can read more about this feature here.

  • A see-through window featuring the Queen’s portrait.

  • A quill at the side of the window which changes from purple to orange.

  • A hologram which contains the word ‘Ten’ and changes to ‘Pounds’ when the note is tilted.

  • A hologram of the coronation crown which appears 3D and multi-coloured when the note is tilted.

  • A book-shaped copper foil patch which contains the letter JA.

  • Micro-lettering beneath the Queen’s portrait with tiny letters and numbers that are visible under a microscope.

  • The words ‘Bank of England’ printed in intaglio (raised ink) along the top of the note.

Will this note also have traces of animal fat in it?

Yes, the production process is the same at the new polymer £5 note.

This means there is a trace of tallow, a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, sometimes used in the production items including soap and candles, in the polymer pellets used.

The inclusion of tallow left some who refuse to use anything with animal products in for moral or religious reasons angry.

What about the old-style £10 notes?

The old paper notes will be withdrawn from circulation in Spring 2018, although there is not yet a specific date for this.

Are there more polymer notes coming?

A new polymer £20 note featuring artist JW Turner will be released in 2020.

The Bank of England says it does not currently have plans for replacing the current £50 note, which features engineers Matthew Boulton and James Watt.

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