Harry Kane five pound notes are circulating in the UK – and you could cash in for £50,000 if you find one
Renowned British micro-engraver Graham Short has made just six of the notes, one for each of Golden Boot winner Kane’s goals at the World Cup, and has spent them in shops across the UK
Football may not be coming home after England missed out of lifting the World Cup, but fans could still net a fortune if they find one of six banknotes featuring Harry Kane’s face that are circulating in the UK.
A rare batch of £5 notes has been altered to include England striker Kane’s face on them, in celebration of his Golden Boot heroics at Russia 2018.
And the artist who made them has insured them for £50,000 (US$65,360), meaning anyone who finds one could expect to receive that amount at an auction.
Renowned British miniature engraver Graham Short made just six of the notes, which feature a five millimetre portrait of the England captain – one for each of Kane’s goals at this summer’s tournament.
The notes carry the engraving “World Cup Golden Boot Winner 2018” next to the picture of Kane.
The 72-year-old Short created a similar batch of rare fivers featuring the face of legendary British author Jane Austen, and released them into circulation in 2017. Those were also valued at £50,000 when they were released.
Short, 72, has given one of the notes to Kane himself, and one to the English FA, but he has spent three of the other four in independent business around the UK.
“My art sells for a lot of money now and it’s really out of reach for most people, but if they find this and sell it and make a lot of money I’ll be really pleased with that,” Short told British newspaper Daily Star.
Three of the five notes are currently in circulation in the UK, but only one of them is in England – Short said he had spent one in a shop in Meriden, a village in the West Midlands between Coventry and Solihull.
“It’s only a few miles from the M40 and M42, and so that note could travel in any direction,” Short said.
The other three notes have been designated for the other three countries that make up Britain.
“Now I’ve just been to Edinburgh [Scotland] and spent one in the Elephant House in Edinburgh, the coffee shop where JK Rowling first went as a young mum and started writing about Harry Potter. I just liked the magical feeling of that,” Short said.
“The Welsh note, I went to Merthyr Tydfil, the former mining town where my father was born. It’s not a wealthy area and I’m hoping that this note could help to change the life of someone in that area who finds it.”
Short added he had spent the Welsh note in an off-licence, and that he will spend the final note in Northern Ireland in the next few days.
