A second £5 note worth up to £50,000 has been found in a Christmas card
There are two left in circulation
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Your support makes all the difference.A second £5 note worth up to £50,000 and featuring a tiny engraved portrait of Jane Austen has been found in a Christmas card.
The note was uncovered in Scotland on Thursday and includes the micro-engraved quote: “I hope I never ridicule what is wise or good,” from Pride and Prejudice. Both recipients so far have said they will keep their notes.
The engravings, which are next to Big Ben on the polymer notes’ holographic foil and were created by artist Graham Short, are invisible to the naked eye and can only be seen in certain lights. Mr Short created four of them.
Mr Short told the BBC: “I don’t know whether I’m disappointed that they haven’t wanted to sell them because I wanted them to have some money for Christmas, but the fact that they are so happy to keep them, that’s nice as well.”
He added he was “terrified” of finding one himself as it might look like a fix.
A further two engraved notes, with serial numbers AM32 885552 and AM32 885554, are still in circulation and yet to be found.
Mr Short, 70, spent two weeks working on each note and then “casually” put them into circulation. He believes they could be worth up to £50,000 each, based on the value of his other work.
He said he only works between midnight and 5am to reduce the traffic noise from outside and binds his right arm to a chair to stop unnecessary body movement.
He is famous for engraving the Lord’s Prayer on the head of a pin.
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