Saw Something Interesting The Other Day.

I've never tried obtaining older notes from a British bank, but as a tour guide I regularly (at least except during COVID) get obsolete notes, sometimes as tips, and sometimes people bring them back from a previous holiday and discover they can't spend them, so I change them for current notes. I've saved a handful of older notes that I acquired this way, but I take the majority to my local bank. The cashier stamps something on each note with a rubber stamp and records the serial numbers on an official-looking form. So I imagine that bank would be very unlikely to give out obsolete notes to a collector!

In Canada, or more specifically in Toronto Ontario, there is a collector "Dean" who has built a great relationship with his tellers. They regularly call him up to inspect (& trade if he so wishes) older coins & currency. He posts images of some of his better "catches" on the Canadian Paper Money Forum, here:
https://cdnpapermoney.com/index.php...msg69563#new

I have tried what he does in the past at my branches & even had tellers about to offer me older notes turned in by prior customers & we were stopped by their supervisors. Not sure why I have had such terrible luck but it is what it is. Then, a couple months ago, I asked if they had any $1 or $2.00 notes which are being phased out by the Bank of Canada. A new teller was happy to show me what he got & allowed me to exchange about $20 worth of old notes (some from 1954). I traded about $20 worth but only kept about $5. One was an old Devil's Face $2 but they were all in TERRIBLY soiled "Good - Very Good condition. I gifted my nephew the DF $2 http://www.banknote.ws/COLLECTION/c.../CAN0067.htm.

I tried to get the above repeat service afterwards and have been politely put off ever since. I even had an Assistant Manager overhear my request & promise to contact me should something come in (has never happened). It's been a bit frustrating as I worked very hard to build a good rapport with this branch but the employee turn-over rate has worked against me & these suburb branches just don't see much old stuff (compared to the city HQ banks in downtown TO where "Dean" gets his stuff).

BTW: I would have taken whatever the teller had to offer- its one of the ways one can get to the good stuff (by just being grateful for the junk too). At least that's what "Dean" advises & I trust his advice.