Understand
Rare banknotes donated to Edinburgh charity shop sell for over £85,000
Overview
A collection of nearly 160 rare international banknotes donated to a British Heart Foundation shop in Edinburgh has raised £85,860 at auction. The collection, which included specimen and trial banknotes from locations such as Malaya, British Borneo, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, was auctioned by Noonans, who waived their vendor commission to support the charity's research into heart and circulatory diseases.
Key points
- Almost 160 rare banknotes from around the world were donated to the British Heart Foundation shop at Straiton Retail Park in Edinburgh.
- Shop volunteers and the eBay team identified the potential significance of the albums and sent them to specialist auction house Noonans.
- The auction raised a total of £85,860 for the British Heart Foundation.
- Noonans waived its vendor commission to support the charity.
- Notable items in the collection included an uncirculated note featuring a young Queen Elizabeth II from Malaya and British Borneo, a 1947 Iraqi 10 dinars colour trial, and a 1961 Saudi Arabian 100 riyal specimen note.