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AN extraordinary collection of banknotes, assembled over 40 years by the late millionaire Bolton baker, Tom Warburton, is set to fetch more than £300,000 at auction.

Mr Warburton’s collection contains about 1,000 banknotes, mostly produced during and between the First and Second World Wars, and is expected to sell for between £320,000 and £420,000 at Spink in Bloomsbury, London, on October 3.

One note in the collection — which was also Mr Warburton’s favourite banknote—is set to fetch up to £6,000 at the auction.

It is an emergency issue 50 cents note, produced by the Seychelles government shortly after the First World War on November 10, 1919, and the Warburton example was the first one produced — serial number 0001.

Auctioneers Spink say it is “of the highest rarity and importance”.

Two Bank of England notes — one for five shillings and the other for two shillings and sixpence, both emergency issues from 1941 during the Second World War — are likely to sell for between £5,000 and £6,000.

“His collection was patiently assembled over 40 years and is truly a life’s work. While age robbed him of his physical ability to carry on with his other hobbies, his banknote collecting sustained him into his later years, providing an outlet for his unstoppable curiosity and common ground for the many friendships he made around the world.”

To read the complete article, see: Bakery chief’s collection of notes to go on sale (www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/districtnews/
districtatog/8370095.Bakery_chief___s_collection_of_notes_to_go_on_sale/)

Lot 30: Banque du Congo-Belge, 5 francs, Kinshasa, 3 June 1920, black and pale blue, allegorical maiden, cherub and beehive (Industry) at left, reverse blue, elephant and hippopotamus at centre

Lot 293: British Armed Forces, Special Vouchers, 3rd series De La Rue specimen set ND (1946),