A new polymer £5 banknote fetching an eye-watering £50,000 on eBay is just one of a number of plastic fivers going for big money.

The note which sold has the serial number AK47 489327 and the sale follows thousands of instances of sellers auctioning off have the new five pound notes on eBay.

Collectors are looking for five pound notes with the lowest serial numbers as these attract the highest bids.

The first five pound note to be printed by the Bank of England, which has a serial number with AA01 000001, was given to the Queen but there are 999,999 other new fivers with the AA01 prefix.

A search on eBay currently reveals Brummie users are trying their luck and selling the note for as high as £20,000 - but it remains to be seen whether anybody bites.

The note from the seller, with a serial number ALI666, is described as "extremely rare" and is currently being viewed by multiple eBay users per hour.

Last week, a representative at a Birmingham auctioning company Joseph Cottrial told us many of these eBay sellers are not likely to make the profit they are hoping for.

Mr Cottrial, who works for Warwick & Warwick Ltd, said: "The one going for £50,000 is worth a fiver.

"The only one that stands a chance is the fiver that was given to the Queen.

"People can put anything on eBay but I suspect the users are trying their luck and being speculative...these prices are just too high.

"I even think in the future we'll see a massive drop in the value.

"In 2017, I reckon, the most you can sell these fivers would be £100. Now, I would say you should sell for about £200."

To read the complete article, see:
New £5 notes are being sold on eBay - and some plastic fivers have been fetching THOUSANDS(www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/uk-news/sell-new-5-fiver-note-11977570)

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
DEMAND CONTINUES FOR SPECIAL FIVE POUND NOTES (www.coinbooks.org/v20/esylum_v20n11a26.html)