I’ve written before about how some of the most valuable collectables arise out of their rarity – sometimes because they were deliberately produced in tiny editions to create such a demand, but also because they were withdrawn after a short run because of mistakes or proved undesirable at the time. Two examples of the latter are The Exploding Trench, a WWI toy that manufacturers Britains made the mistake of filling with British rather than German model troops, and the Vinyl Cape Jawa figure, a minor character from Star Wars, soon replaced by one dressed in a cloth cape.
Such limited editions are common in the world of stamps (the Inverted Jenny), coins and bank notes too. In the news this week is the gold Kew Gardens 50p piece, an edition limited to just 1000 to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the gardens in 2009, of which only 629 sold to the public. Featuring the famous pagoda landmark from within the gardens on the reverse, the price for a single one of these is expected to reach £800 at auction this month.
My other, more recent, favourite, is the limited run of just six £5 notes soon to be put into circulation with a micro engraving of England football captain Harry Kane and the inscription World Cup Golden Boot Winner 2018 next to the image of Big Ben.
Keep your eyes peeled for one of these; they are valued at £50,000 apiece.
