Recently, Brits have been asked to dig through their wallets in search of rare coins worth a fortune.

But these days, it’s grades that are a hot topic online. Recently, avid collectors have been scouring the internet for £5 notes with specific serial numbers, in the hope that their value will increase over time.

This sparked a surge in the number of £5 notes listed on eBay and other online marketplaces. Notes with the prefix “AA01,” indicating that they come from the first batch ever produced, are particularly coveted.

However, these aren’t the only £5 notes causing a stir online, as those with the serial code AK47 are currently listed for between £1,000 and £20,000.

However, it’s not just about the serial numbers, as there are also a few limited edition £5 notes featuring an engraving of Jane Austen in circulation.

These rare notes could be worth up to £20,000 – with bidders willing to part with a deposit for the most valuable possession. New £5 notes depicting King Charles have also started appearing on eBay for between £500 and £1,300.

Banknotes bearing the image of King Charles III were first issued on June 5, 2024. Those representing Queen Elizabeth II will remain legal tender and will co-circulate alongside the banknotes of King Charles III.

The Bank of England issued a statement saying: “The portrait of the King appears on the existing designs of all four bank notes (£5, £10, £20 and £50), with no further changes to the existing designs. This means you can check out these banknotes in the same way that you can check out our polymer banknotes featuring Queen Elizabeth II.

“The new King Charles III banknotes will only be printed to replace worn out ones and to meet any overall increase in demand for banknotes. Our approach is in line with Royal Household guidelines, aimed at minimizing the environmental and financial impact of this change. “

Meanwhile, an expert has advised you to check your £1 coins as there is a batch with two different dates, increasing their value to collectors. You need to look for a £1 coin with two different dates on it.

A date will be easy to find: it will appear on the same side as the monarch’s head. The other will be engraved on the edge of the other side of the coin in very small font.

If these two dates are different, your piece might be worth auctioning off. Specifically, the dates you want to search for are 2016 and 2017.

A coin expert, known online as Coin Collector UK, took to social media platform TikTok to explain exactly what to look for. He said: “£2,500 if you can find this mistake on your 12-sided £1 coin.

“There are a few errors that can be found on your £1 coins. The main errors you want to look for are the double date £1 coin.”

Speaking about a 2016 £1 coin as an example, he added: “So you can see that when we turn this coin over on the obverse, it is a 2016 version of the £1 coin. However, some were made with the micro-lettering on the obverse. the side with the date 2017.

“This is an extremely rare mistake. We only know of one that was sold to a buyer in Spain, and that one sold for £2,500.

“Here’s a close-up of everything you want to look for. Here you can see the date 2017 around the edge in micro-letters on each side.”