Rare banknotes going under the hammer to help raise money for food banks
25 November 2022, 10:34
NatWest is putting some of its rare banknotes up for auction and it is hoped the sales could raise more than £400,000.
Some rare banknotes held by NatWest are being auctioned to help raise funds for food banks.
The auctions will feature notes from the Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank, the historic National Bank of Scotland and the Bank of England.
The banknotes include a never-circulated Royal Bank of Scotland £50 polymer note with the serial number AA888888, featuring social reformer Flora Stevenson and Randolph Crescent in Edinburgh.
Some of the more historic notes date back over 100 years to the First World War and include a Bank of England 10 shilling note from 1919, NatWest said.
The first of three auctions is being held on November 29 2022.
Subsequent auctions will be held on December 16 this year and January 19 2023.
It is estimated that the auctions could raise more than £400,000.
The proceeds will be donated to the Trussell Trust, whose network of food bank centres supports people across the UK.
NatWest also offers customers the opportunity to donate to a range of charities including the Trussell Trust, through its MyRewards scheme.
Richard Talbot, head of cash and self-service at NatWest, said: “We have been a long-term supporter of the Trussell Trust and we are glad to be building further upon that support to help those most in need with the current cost of living crisis.”
Emma Revie, chief executive of the Trussell Trust, said: “We are very grateful to the team at NatWest for their incredible support.
“As we enter the winter period, more people are likely to need a food bank’s help and food banks across our network face providing over 7,000 food parcels to people in crisis every day throughout December.
“But ultimately, no one in the UK should need a food bank – all of us should have enough money for the essentials like food, clothing and heating.
“The support of NatWest will help food banks within our network continue to provide the lifeline of emergency support for local people in crisis, while we work in the long term to end the need for food banks, for good.”
Arnas Savickas, head of banknotes Europe/US at Spink, which is auctioning the banknotes, said: “We are proud to know that the money raised will be tremendously beneficial to those in need.”
All auctions will be held at Spink’s headquarters in Southampton Row in central London.
