WORLD BANKNOTE AUCTIONS SALE 29

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V25 2022 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 25, Number 29, July 17, 2022, Article 20

Here's the press release for World Banknote Auctions upcoming Live Sale 29. More great notes! I can think of a single one I wouldn't want to have in my collection. -Editor

World Banknote Auctions has now launched Live Sale 29 at www.worldbanknoteauctions.com. Live Sale 29 starts on August 4, 2022, with live bidding that day at 1 PM Eastern / 10 AM Pacific. Please note that Sale 29 is divided in two parts, each selling on a different day. The first live sale with 547 lots takes place on August 4 at 10 AM PST. The second live sale with 471 lots opens on July 12 at 10 AM PST and closes on August 7 at 3 PM PST (special bidding rules apply for the timed sale, please see our website for details). Our bidding platform can be accessed directly by going to bid.worldbanknoteauctions.com or through our mobile apps.

Sale 29 offers a strong selection of classic Iraqi notes, a country that has become on of the crown jewels of the Arabic world, with demand strong for key pieces. Several challenging notes are offered, with lot 29201 being a PMG Very Fine 25 graded example (minor restoration noted by PMG) of the iconic King Ghazi 100 Dinar (Pick-12a). 100 Dinars from Iraq are extremely rare and seldom offered, and all had extremely small print runs (it is estimated that just 6,000 pieces of this particular variety were printed). With an immense face value at the time of issue, very few were saved, and this has become one of the key notes for any Middle Eastern collection.

The next lot is a condition rarity that is sure to gather some attention from advanced collectors. Lot 29202 is the first and only uncirculated graded example of the 1/2 Dinar with the first portrait of King Faisal II ever offered. Faisal II became king of Iraq at the age of three after the death of his father, but notes were not issued until he was eight years old, at which time this portrait was made. A rarity in this grade that is the only UNC graded by PCGS and surpasses anything in the PMG population report, this note is estimated at $20,000 to $30,000, but pre-bidding had already reached $20,000 three weeks before the auction, signifying intense interest in this note.

The Iraqi 1/2 Dinar mentioned above is not the only once in a lifetime opportunity in this auction. Lot 29311 offers an extremely rare 20 centavos commemorative issue from Nicaragua (Pick-20) graded Very Fine 25 by PMG. This offering represents the first time this type has appeared at public auction since 1981. It was issued to commemorate the 402nd anniversary of Columbus landing in the Americas, and was a locally produced commemorative issue printed on poor quality paper. Just four examples are known, of which this reportedly is the finest known example.

Collectors of banknotes from the British Commonwealth have several scarce and high grade examples to choose from. Lot 29084 is the single finest 10 Rupees from Ceylon dated 1948 (Pick-48) graded by PMG as Gem Uncirculated 66 EPQ. A popular type that is very rarely found in uncirculated grades, this one is as fresh as the day it was printed, fully original with great eye-appeal. Another rarity from the widespread influence of the British Empire is lot 29371, a PCGS Choice AU 58 graded example of a 5 Rupees from the Seychelles (Pick-3-c), a type that is already very scarce in circulated grades, but something in this high grade was lacking from even the greatest Commonwealth collections ever assembled. A true grade rarity that to this date has never been offered in such lofty grade.

Many classic European banknotes are virtually impossible to locate in high grades, so finding pleasing circulated pieces can be very challenging and difficult. World Banknote Auctions sale 29 features a selection of such notes, including lot 29039 (Belgium 100 Francs 1906 Pick-70 in PMG 25) and lot 29398 (Sweden 5 Kronor 1889 Pick-13b in PMG 30), both of which are now well over 100 years old and are both very scarce type notes. Both of these are pleasing examples for their grades and would perfectly in an advanced European collection.

Interest in Asian notes remains strong, with rarer types in better grades often seeing intense bidding wars between dedicated collectors. A type that is typically seen in well circulated condition is offered in lot 29304, a Netherlands Indies 50 Gulden dated 1939 (Pick-81) and graded About UNC 55 EPQ by PMG. This is a very scarce type to find in higher grades, especially so with original paper, and comes from the popular Wayang series which features images of native Indonesian dancers. In a bit lower grade but still quite desirable is lot 29392, a small-change issue from the Straits Settlements, undated but issued circa 1917 (25 cents, Pick-7), a type that is often seen in much lower grades than the PMG Extremely Fine 45 offered in this auction.

World Banknote Auctions often offers banknotes that are both rare in type and in grade, such as the Australian 10 Pound with portrait of King George V offered in lot 29019 or the Jamaican 5 Pound from the 1960s that is lot 29233 in this sale. Both these notes are very scarce in all grades, but are especially scarce in higher grades offered in this sale. Amazingly, this sale includes not one but two examples of the Australian 10 Pound note (which is Pick-18b), with the other offered in lot 29020.

While World Banknote Auctions has traditionally specialized in world paper money (meaning banknotes from outside of the United States) this particular sales includes a strong selection of US paper money that is worth checking out, as some scarce and / or high grade examples are being offered. Included are several scarce, high grade type notes, as well as nice collections of Confederate and Fractional currency that were assembled by a single consignor over several years.