British and World Banknotes

Bank of England, Horace G. Bowen, watermarked paper for £5, c.1894, with a roughly torn left edge, accounted for by a hand-written note dated 28 May 1894, and stating “tested by H.R.H. George Duke of Cambridge 19-1-Saturday £5.”A”, 37(?) broke at 50 1/2(?)”. The Duke of Cambridge visited Portals on the 28th of May and presumably used the paper strength testing machine, which tore the sheet of two £5 notes in half at the given pressure. Paper is good extremely fine, Bank of England paper of this age is rare, and this piece comes with a great story and provenance (2 items)
EPM B207a for type £300-£400