Banknotes

The Banknote Department at Spink prides itself on being the market leader for British and World Banknotes

It was amongst the first auction houses to start offering banknotes over a century ago with a dedicated banknote department established almost half a century ago. In today’s dynamic and rapidly growing market, we continue to achieve world record results. Highlights include a complete Zanzibar set that sold for $852,000—the highest price ever achieved for a world banknote set at a public auction—a Palestine £100 note that realised £168,000, and a Commercial Bank of India 10,000 Rs Face Proof which fetched $120,000. Other notable results include an East Africa 10,000 Shillings note that sold for £91,200 and a People's Bank of China, 1st series renminbi 5000 Yuan 'Shepherd' note, which ultimately realised an impressive HK$1,824,000 following spirited bidding.

One of our greatest pleasures in the department is handling discovery notes, those unseen by the collecting public and unrecorded in reference books, and we are fortunate to handle a few of these each year, contributing to the global notaphilic knowledge base through our research.

In addition to single notes, our Banknote Department frequently offers complete private collections, often the result of decades of dedicated collecting. We are proud of our forward-thinking, accommodating approach and are happy to assess banknotes ranging from single items to large estates. For those seeking discretion, private treaty purchases and sales can also be offered.

Since 2003, it has been our honour to conduct the Bank of England Charity auctions of new, low serial number issues. Other notable charity auctions include those for the Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale Bank, and Royal Bank of Scotland. Most recently, our Bank of England Charity Auction of King Charles III Banknotes raised an outstanding £914,447 for ten charities.

At Spink, we are dedicated to nurturing and contributing to the hobby of banknote collecting. An ethos of professionalism, expertise, and exceptional client service underpins our operation, and it is our pleasure to provide bespoke guidance to collectors, whether they are looking for a single banknote, an extensive collection, or simply a fascinating hobby.

We invite you to look through our offerings or to reach out to our specialists with any questions. We would be delighted to help you navigate the fascinating world of banknotes. For more information, you are welcome to contact us at [email protected]