THEY were created by the rich wool and textile merchants of Huddersfield two centuries ago.

Now a collection of Huddersfield banknotes are coming up for auction in London.

And they are expected to fetch many hundreds of pounds – considerably more than their original value.

The notes for One Pound or One Guinea are included in an auction by London Coins on March 5.

Semra Catin, general manager of London Coins, said: “We expect a great deal of interest.

“There are a lot of serious collectors who favour these notes from the provincial banks of England from the early part of the 19th century.

“Some of the Huddersfield notes are in very good condition and we value them at up to £200 each”

Until the mid-eighteenth century the majority of private banks were located in the city of London.

The politician Edmund Burke stated in 1750 that ‘there were not above a dozen bankers outside London in the country.’

But by 1798 there were over 300 country bankers.