Could that fiver be worth 4,000 times as much as its face value? It very well may be, if it’s one of the four plain-looking £5 polymer bank notes etched with a tiny “invisible” engraving.
The Tony Huggins-Haig Gallery in Kelso, Scotland, teamed up with renowned micro-engraver Graham Short to create five unique notes emblazoned with a five-millimetre portrait of Jane Austen, each encircled with a different quote by the author. The engraving is only visible when light hits it at a specific angle.
One engraved bill was donated to the Jane Austen Society and the rest were put into regular circulation. Each of them has a serial number starting with “AM32 885.”
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Short is known for his miniature engravings. He recently sold a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II engraved on a speck of gold fitted into an eye of a needle for £100,000.
With 2017 marking the 200th anniversary of Austen’s death and with her portrait being added to the new £10 note, Short decided an “invisible” engraving of the literary figure would be appropriate.
“I’ve no idea how much they will be worth but £20,000 is a conservative estimate,” said Short in a statement. “Previous pieces I’ve done have been insured for more than £50,000.”
In a statement, Huggins-Haig said the gallery’s mission is to work with charitable causes to make art much more accessible to the average person, which is why the idea of quietly circulating very valuable £5 notes appealed to him.
“I think the £5 note idea is a cracker. It’s real Willy Wonka stuff and we can’t wait for someone to find they have one!”
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Although the Bank of England would technically consider Short’s engravings as an illegal act of defacement, the gallery says they hope this will bring goodwill and cheer to those lucky enough to find one.
“This goes along with our idea of keeping both feet on the ground and giving back to the British community, that which they have given to us,” said gallery spokesperson Michael Huggins. “We just want to ensure that good faith and happiness is being spread through our country, with no bias as they have been released into the public domain anonymously into our multi-cultural society and thus could be discovered by someone of any age, gender, sexuality, nationality, faith or social standing.”
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