The biggest collection of provincial British bank notes ever assembled is to be sold and could net its owner a whopping £1.5 million.

David Kirch, a multi-millionaire whose charitable giving is legendary, has decided to cash in his immense collection of 4,000 notes and give the proceeds to the elderly.

Between the late 18th century and 1921 provincial banks across the country produced their own notes.

All corners of Britain are represented in the collection that is so big it is having to be sold in a series of auctions.

The collection has taken about 30 years to assemble and is being sold along with Mr Kirch's collection of 350 Bank of England notes, which is worth about £2million.

Many people are unaware that almost every town had its own bank that issued notes to be used in the locality.

'I used to get so excited when a note came up that I didn't have that I had to go and get it. Some were bargains and others I paid too much for, but they evened out. I enjoy the fun of collecting and got carried away and when I wanted a note I just couldn't let it go.

Barnaby Faull, from London auctioneers Spinks, said that the notes date approximately from the 1790s to the 1920s but most are from the 1820s and 1830s when many banks went bust.

The provincial notes will be sold in four sales starting with the south and south west region, with the first sale on October 10. All proceeds will be going to the David Kirch Charitable Trust.

To read the complete article, see:The Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet fiver: How provincial banks used to print their own notes and now they're worth millions(www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2198035/Largest-collection
-provincial-banknotes-assembled-banks-Glastonbury-Chatham-goes-sale.html)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS BANKNOTE EXPERT BARNABY FAULL OF SPINK(/www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v15n35a18.html)