How to spot a ‘rare’ £20 note and the serial numbers that could be worth hundreds

IT will come as no surprise that a rare coin can bag you some decent cash, but the same goes for notes too.

Some rare £20's have been known to sell for multiple times their face value and even £10,000s.

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But what classes as a rare £20? Often one with a quirky serial number.

The current £20 notes have been in circulation for a few years, but there are a few things to look out for to help you spot a rare one.

Here's everything you need to know.

Early serial numbers

When the Bank of England issues a new note it donates those with significant numbers to the people and institutions involved in the development.

For example, the first note with the serial number AA01 000001 is given to the King.

But not many with very early serial numbers make it into circulation - what members of the public can get their hands on.

It's for this reason that collectors are keen to snap them up as it makes them rare.

The bank also tends to donate lots of the early stage notes to charities for auction.

But it has previously confirmed not all the early £20 notes were reserved - that means some of the rarest AA notes are actually in circulation.

AA notes are the most valuable, but anything with an A in it could be worth more than the value of the note itself.

For example, an AA01 £5 note sold on eBay for over £60,000 in 2017.

Of course, you might not always get this amount for one, but it does help to give you an idea of what you might get.

Consecutive serial numbers

Bank notes that have consecutive serial numbers are also ones to keep an eye on - especially if the numbers are low.

If you can combine an early serial letter, with a consecutive number you could be onto a winner.

For instance, if you get one with AA1234567, it's likely to be popular.

Two notes with the serial numbers AA01090561 and AA01090562 sold for more than £50 in March 2020.

To make a profit, people usually try and sell them on eBay or Facebook, sometimes making hundreds of pounds.

Special meanings in serial numbers

When the Jane Austen £5 notes came out in 2017 there was lots of interest in numbers that were linked to her life.

For instance, collectors hunted for the serial numbers 16 121775 and 18 071817 because they are the author's birth and death dates.

Also, the £20 notes released in 2020 feature artist JMW Turner, so serial numbers with his birth date - 1775 - could be a winner.

If you find one starting with an A that also includes his birth date that should be worth even more.

One special serial number to keep an eye out for is 1775 1851 which combines the painter's birth and death date.

A note starting with JT could be valuable in theory, but there would have to be a lot of notes printed to reach this, so the notes are unlikely to end up in circulation.

There are also sets of serial numbers that always prove popular regardless of who is on the note, for instance, 007 for James Bond or AK47.

AK47 notes have been listed for as much as £160,000 but most have been selling for about £100.

In other news, one super rare coin fetched its owner a whopping £10,000.

Plus, the 10 rarest and most valuable coins worth up to £325.

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