CASH IN THE ATTIC

EVERY week we give the low-down on the value of forgotten treasures that may be gathering dust at home.

THE tax disc was abolished just over five years ago – but if you still have some old paper copies lying about they could be worth money.

It was in 1921 that the first paper disc was issued. These early grey cards, below, were filled in using a pen.

Tax disc collectors – known as velologists – are willing to pay up to £1,000 to own one of these earliest discs.

The first ‘green stripe’ coloured discs were introduced in 1923 – along with quarterly discs, that came in colours such as blue, pink and yellow, for those that could not afford to pay in one lump sum.

Such pre-war disc charges were based on you paying £1 per horsepower produced by your car engine.

A flat tax disc rate of £10 a year was introduced in 1948.

The first perforated tax disc came out in 1938 but it was not until 1961 that the ‘modern’ design of varying shades on a solid colour bar with a date of expiry was introduced. Some later discs in rare shades can sell for £100 or more.

The scrapping of paper tax discs has been a costly mistake – losing the public purse an estimated £300 million from tax dodgers not bothering to pay.