Rare £5 notes fetch thousands on eBay as certain serial numbers are in demand

Online marketplaces have seen an influx of sought-after notes listed

Those who find rare £5 notes could be sitting on a fortune, as they were being sold for thousands on eBay. Certain serial numbers, which were desirable to collectors, have been put up for as much as £20,000.

Online marketplaces have seen an influx of sought-after notes listed, including those with the 'AA01' prefix, which were the very first batch produced. Those with the serial code AK47 have also caught people's attention and were currently on sale for between £1,000 and £20,000, the Mirror reports.

A handful of limited edition £5 notes stamped with a Jane Austin engraving were also in demand, and could be worth as much as £20,000. New £ 5 notes featuring King Charles have also started appearing on eBay for between £500 and £1,300 - with claims they include errors and misprints.

READ MORE: Loose Women star Penny Lancaster in tears as she shares family cancer battle

The banknotes featuring a portrait of King Charles III were first issued on June 5 this year. However those featuring the portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II remain legal tender.

A Bank of England spokesperson said: "The portrait of the King appears on existing designs of all four banknotes (£5, £10, £20, and £50), with no other changes to the existing designs. This means you can check these notes in the same way you can check our polymer banknotes featuring Queen Elizabeth II.

"New King Charles III banknotes will only be printed to replace those that are worn and to meet any overall increase in demand for banknotes. Our approach is in line with guidance from the Royal Household, to minimise the environmental and financial impact of this change."