The Queen Elizabeth II bank note was sold for £140.01 on eBay last month and is thought to be so valuable because it features a misprint.
The twenty quid is missing the text ‘Bank of England’ and ‘I promise to the bearer on demand the sum of twenty pounds’ at the top, to the left of the Queen’s head.
The note is also missing the words ‘twenty pounds’ to the bottom left of the portrait of Queen Elizabeth.
A rare £20 note has sold for seven times its shop value – because of one crucial error. (Image: Kennedy News & Media)
The listing describes the misprinted note as a ‘rare’ and ‘unique’ item.
The listing reads: “Unique banknote from my collection with writing missing (Bank of England and Twenty Pounds), uncirculated condition.
“This is a rare £20 misprint banknote featuring Queen Elizabeth II.”
One keen collector paid a hefty £140.01 for the note, including free postage, on Monday November 10.
The lucky buyer has already received the item and claimed it was a ‘great addition’ to their collection in feedback.
That means the note was sold for more than seven times its face value and will be sure to have Brits checking their change for an equally rare bank note.
The phrase ‘I promise to pay the bearer on demand the sum of twenty 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.
Notes featuring the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II remain legal tender and can continue to be used.
Banknotes featuring a portrait of His Majesty The King were first issued in the United Kingdom in 2024.