Boy finds $5 note in sea, sells for more than $500
Zayne Hinton was swimming in the sea when he saw something orange floating in the water. The 7-year-old made a grab for it and found himself clutching an old $5 note.
He didn’t know it at the time, but that $5 note would soon attract bids for more than 100 times its face value on auction website Trade Me and take him closer to his dream of owning a two-stroke motorbike.
Last night the mildewed $5 note had attracted a bid of $530 with another day left on the auction.
The Christchurch boy was swimming at Sumner Beach on Saturday when he caught his life changing wave of good fortune.
‘‘I saw this orange thing floating in the sea,’’ he said. ‘‘I picked it up to see what it was and it was a $5 note. I was happy.’’
Philippa Hinton said her son immediately started fantasising about what he could buy with his newfound riches.
‘‘As soon as he found out what it was it blew his mind,’’ she said.
‘‘He thought he had the power to buy whatever he wanted. He loves motorbikes, so he thought he would be able to get a two-stroke motorbike and the mansion to go with it.’’
On the way home from the beach, Zayne’s father, Brad Hinton, came up with the idea of putting the old note on Trade Me to see if it would sell for more than its face value.
‘‘I thought that would give us all a laugh to see if it got any attention. It has – big time. Who would have thought it?’’ he said.
‘‘I thought if he got $10 for it then good on him.’’
The listing took off once Trade Me put the item in its Cool Auctions section on the front page.
As for the motorbike, Brad Hinton said his son may be allowed to buy one ‘‘if his behaviour is good’’.
Philippa Hinton said her son had other plans for the money, beyond the long-held dream of a motorbike.
‘‘He said he was going to take us all to tea and buy all the pets a toy. ‘‘He suggested McDonald’s.’’ Zayne had theories about the origins of the mysterious note, which appeared to have been in the sea for some time as the edges were spotted with mildew.
‘‘It could have come from a boat or a jet ski or a swimmer.’’
‘‘As soon as he found out what it was it blew his mind . . . He thought he had the power to buy whatever he wanted.’’ Philippa Hinton, Zayne’s mother