Only six Portsmouth notes are known to have survived
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Several extremely rare �5 notes fetched almost twice their estimated value at auction on Tuesday.
The "white fivers" were issued by regional branches of the Bank of England in the 1800's.
The most valuable, issued by the Portsmouth branch in 1849 and anticipated to raise between �10,000 and �12,000, sold for �21,150.
Bills from Newcastle, Plymouth, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester were also
part of the auction at Bonhams in London.
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Selling price
Portsmouth, 1849, - �21,150
Newcastle, 1849, - �16,450
Plymouth, 1848 - �17,625
Bristol, 1850, - �16,450
Birmingham, 1856 - �14,100
Manchester, 1858, - �11,163
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The five pound note was first produced in 1793 during the war with France and was expected to be only a temporary measure.
To keep up with the rapidly developing economy, 13 provincial branches of the Bank of England began producing currency in the 1820's.
Only six of the many thousands of "white fivers" produced in Portsmouth are known to have survived.
The note in Bonhams sale remains clean and crisp but, as it was common practice at the time for paper money to be sent through the post, the note has been split down the centre.
The note would have been rejoined at the bank upon presentation of the two halves.
Bonhams banknote specialist Michael O'Grady said: "We had a group of these so-called 'white fivers' from six of the Bank of England's regional branches, but the Portsmouth example is the rarest and most valuable.
"We have not seen notes of this rarity for a long time and never in a group like this.
"The bidding was between collectors who have not had the opportunity of having five of these notes before."
A more common �5 note issued by the Bank of England in London in 1855 sold for �4,700, while a rare �10 note, also issued in 1855, fetched �7,638.
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