Operation Bernhard Counterfeit 5 Pound Note

[Rhino]

So I've been thinking of buying one of the counterfeit 5 pound WWII notes that were printed under Operation Bernhard, but I was wondering if anyone here knew what a fair market price would be? I checked Heritage, they had a price range between $98 and $402 (big difference ) and ebay had prices between $99 and $250.

 

Anyone have a specimen, or seen one on sale anywhere? It's a great note that I want to have because of the story behind it, but I don't want to find out that I overpayed by $100 later...

 

 

Any help is appreciated.

[Saor Alba]

I would check this out a bit more, something about that image is too bright even for a Bernhard note. They used to be a fairly common and affordable item, but as you have seen the prices on them are nearly approaching the prices of the authentic BoE notes now. Sometime I would like to get one of the 10 or 20's for my collection - but the problem with them is that they got a level of damage from sitting in the lake in Austria for a dozen years.

 

Here is an example on the thin paper variety of the BoE note from 1947:

 

 

The one curious effect of the Bernhard episode was that the BoE discontinued all denominations larger than the fiver until 1967 when they introduced the 10 again. But ironically they continued to issue the white fivers until 1956 when they were finally replaced with the "Helmeted Britannia design which is actually one of my favourite British banknotes:

 

[nutmegcollector]

So I've been thinking of buying one of the counterfeit 5 pound WWII notes that were printed under Operation Bernhard, but I was wondering if anyone here knew what a fair market price would be? I checked Heritage, they had a price range between $98 and $402 (big difference ) and ebay had prices between $99 and $250.

 

Anyone have a specimen, or seen one on sale anywhere? It's a great note that I want to have because of the story behind it, but I don't want to find out that I overpayed by $100 later...

 

Any help is appreciated.

 

 

One OPERATION BERNHARD £10 1942-44 dated 18th April 1936 vf on sale at Colin Narbeth for £99.50 (USD 152.96)

http://www.colin-narbeth.com/cgi-bin/world...=L&OUT=home

 

[Rhino]

Thanks for the info. By the way that image that I put up was not the one I am thinking of buying, it was just an example so people would know what I'm talking about. Guess I picked a bad one But I verify that they are Bernhard before I buy, so it's all good.

[nutmegcollector]

Thanks for the info. By the way that image that I put up was not the one I am thinking of buying, it was just an example so people would know what I'm talking about. Guess I picked a bad one But I verify that they are Bernhard before I buy, so it's all good.

 

Can you tell the difference between a Bernhard and a geniune note?

[Rhino]

Can you tell the difference between a Bernhard and a geniune note?

 

Yes. Some of the features that are slightly different are the cross on top of the crown, the shapes of the circles that surround the word that denotes the denomination, certain shades of lines on the dress, one particular curve of a border around the seated figure, and detail of the eyes. If you know what to look for, you can tell the difference. If not, you would probably not be able to tell them apart.

[nutmegcollector]

Yes. Some of the features that are slightly different are the cross on top of the crown, the shapes of the circles that surround the word that denotes the denomination, certain shades of lines on the dress, one particular curve of a border around the seated figure, and detail of the eyes. If you know what to look for, you can tell the difference. If not, you would probably not be able to tell them apart.

 

Here's a side by side comparison. Genuine one on the left. A counterfeit has a dull look in Britannia eyes, her lower lip not as full, less clarity on the cross at top of her crown, fleur-de-lis on the crown not as well defined, and the marking on the vase and the shadow around it not as dark.

 

[Rhino]

Here's a side by side comparison. Genuine one on the left. A counterfeit has a dull look in Britannia eyes, her lower lip not as full, less clarity on the cross at top of her crown, fleur-de-lis on the crown not as well defined, and the marking on the vase and the shadow around it not as dark.

 

 

Yup And also, at times when you cannot figure out from pictures whether a note is a Bernhard or not, there are some sites that have put together a list of confirmed Bernhard serials by year and denomination.

[David Sanz]

Yup And also, at times when you cannot figure out from pictures whether a note is a Bernhard or not, there are some sites that have put together a list of confirmed Bernhard serials by year and denomination.

 

Please, does anyone know the price range for an authentic 5 pounds note from the time of Bernhard's?

[Dave]

Ther're two currently offered at Denly's - One Genuine and one Counterfeit - Each 235.00 in XF Condition:

 

 

http://www.denlys.com/inventory/display.asp?table=tblForeign_Inventory&country=ALL#FN5346 List

 

http://www.denlys.com/inventory/viewimage.asp?ID=FN5346 Bristol Branch

 

http://www.denlys.com/inventory/viewimage.asp?ID=FN5347 Counterfeit

[William Travis Focker]

I paid about $115 for my Bernhard fiver, from a guy in the UK. Exchange rate miiight've helped a little