RARE BANK OF ENGLAND £5 NOTE FROM BIRMINGHAM IS EXPECTED TO FETCH MORE THAN £25,000 AT NOONANS

A rare Bank of England £5 note from the Birmingham branch, dated 5 May 1892, is expected to fetch more than £25,000 in the sale of British and Irish Banknotes on Wednesday & Thursday, October 15 & 16, 2025, at Noonans Mayfair (16 Bolton Street) [Lot 224].

As Andrew Pattison, Head of Banknote Department at Noonans commented: “The note is being sold by a long-term collector of high-end Bank of England notes, and we believe it is the rarest Birmingham £5 in existence.  It is also likely to be the most expensive, as we fully anticipate that it will match or exceed its estimate.  With this being the only known example in private hands, when we say a once in a lifetime chance for collectors, we really mean it.” 

Also expecting to fetch a similar amount is a £500 Bank of England note signed by Cyril P. Mahon and dated 15 December 1925. It is one of only four examples known to exist [lot 268].

Comprising almost 1300 lots, this is the department’s largest auction of banknotes hailing purely from the British Isles. The sale also includes a very early Bank of England £1 note dating from 1801 and signed by Chief Cashier Abraham Newland, which carries an estimate of £6,000-8,000 [lot 217].