Rare banknote serial numbers go viral as certain codes make them worth thousands of pounds

In recent months, we've seen a manner of rare coins go viral for their impressive worth. But now it's not just your coins which are causing a stir

In recent months, we've seen a manner of rare coins go viral for their impressive worth. But now it's not just your coins which are causing a stir online as you should be eyeing up banknotes too.

But it's not just any banknotes as certain serial numbers are the ones which made them incredibly valuable. Those with the 'AA01' prefix are often in higher demand. This is down to the code which signifies they're from the first batch produced.

However, these aren't the only £5 notes catching attention online as those with the serial code AK47 are currently on sale for between £1,000 and £20,000.

While this may seem a little random, some want to snap up the banknotes because they have connotations that remind them of firearms. Similarly, the Satanistic 666 sequence is popular with some intrigued by the dark side.

To identify potential valuable notes in seconds, check for unique codes. Here are some types of serial numbers that are generally considered valuable:

Low Serial Numbers: Notes with very low numbers, such as those beginning with "AA01" and especially "000001," can be highly sought after. The first in a print run is particularly special to collectors.

Consecutive Serial Numbers: Sets of notes with consecutive serial numbers are often more desirable than single notes with standard numbers.

Repeating or Patterned Serial Numbers: Serial numbers that repeat, such as "123123" or "010101," or have patterns, like palindromes (which read the same forwards and backwards, such as "123321"), can be appealing.

Significant Dates: Serial numbers that correspond to significant historical dates or anniversaries, especially if they relate to the figure on the banknote.

Unique Numbers: Numbers that are all the same digit, such as "111111" or "777777," or other unique numbers like "123456" are often more valuable.

One expert, known online as the Coin Collector UK, took to social media platform TikTok to explain exactly what to look for. He said: “£2,500 if you manage to find this error on your 12 sided £1 coin. There are a few errors that can be found on your £1 coins. The main ones you want to be looking for is the dual dated £1 coin.”

He demonstrated what to look for using a normal £1 coin from 2016. “So you can see, when we flip this over on the obverse side this is a 2016 version of the £1 coin,” he said. “However some were made with the micro-lettering on the side with the date 2017. It is an extremely rare error. We only know of one that’s actually being sold to a buyer in Spain, and this sold for £2,500.”