The King Charles III bank note was sold for £191.65 on eBay and is thought to be so valuable because it features a misprint.
The fiver is missing the text ‘Bank of England’ and ‘I promise to the bearer on demand the sum of five pounds’ at the top, to the left of the King’s head.
The note is also missing the words ‘five pounds’ to the bottom left of the portrait of King Charles.
The listing describes the misprinted note as a ‘unique’ item that would make a ‘special addition’ to any collection.
The listing reads: “Rare King Charles five-pound note with writing missing, in good circulated condition.
“It is a unique and collectable item and would make a special addition to any coin or banknote collection.”
Bidding for the note started at just £4.58 but skyrocketed to £191.65 after it was snapped up by one keen collector, who also paid a £3 postage fee.
That means the note was sold for a little over 38 times its shop value and will be sure to have Brits checking their change.
The phrase ‘I promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of five pounds’ dates back to when notes represented deposits of gold.
At that time, banknotes could be exchanged for gold of the same value.
While the value of the pound is no longer linked to gold, legal tender is still printed with the phrase today.
Banknotes featuring a portrait of His Majesty The King were first issued in the United Kingdom on June 5 2024.
Notes featuring the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II remain legal tender and can continue to be used.
