An array of banknotes from more than 60 countries around the globe will end up in new collections after they cross the block in the Heritage HKINF World Paper Money Signature Auction – Hong Kong June 18-21.
“This is an extraordinary auction, one that boasts a wide array of countries and types,” says Dustin Johnston, Vice President of Numismatics at Heritage Auctions. “The variety in this auction is secondary to the freshness of the offerings. We are excited to present so many notes for the first time at auction, and every lot is offered without reserve.”
Among the highlights is a China Hupeh Government Mint 1 Dollar = 7 Mace 2 Candareens 1899 Pick S2135 S/M#H175-20 PMG Choice Extremely Fine 45 that is popular with collectors as it is grand in both physical size and aesthetic appeal. Part of the lone issue by the Hupeh Government Mint, this note originally could be exchanged for a crown-sized silver dollar, leading to most being redeemed long ago. This example has a vibrance that belies its age, and is the second-finest, and one of the few original pieces, of just 36 examples graded in the PMG Population Report.
A beautiful and exotic China Deutsch-Asiatische Bank, Peking 100 Dollars 1.7.1914 Pick S277r S/M#T101-24 Remainder PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 is so rare — at the time of cataloging, PMG has graded just 13 of these Peking Remainders — that they are coveted by collectors worldwide. Of the notes issued by the German-Asian Bank in China and its colony in Kiau Chau from 1907 until the end of World War I, two series, denominated in dollars and taels, were issued featuring either the 1907 or 1914 date. Notes from this issuer shared a common design across all branch cities: Shanghai, Peking, Tsingtau, Hankow, and Tientsin. This denomination is only known in Remainder and possibly Specimen form.
A China People’s Bank of China 500 Yuan 1949 Pick 843a S/M#C282-55 PMG Superb Gem Unc 67 EPQ is an extraordinary issue that is tied for the highest graded in the PMG Population Report. The front features a steam shovel vignette, while the reverse showcases guilloché designs.
A Singapore Board of Commissioners of Currency 10,000 Dollars ND (1973) Pick 8A PMG Extremely Fine 40 is a rare high-denomination note from the Flower Series, one of fewer than 100 graded in the PMG Population Report. Although still accepted as legal tender, the Monetary Authority of Singapore stopped producing this denomination in 2014. This coveted note rarely makes it to the auction block, and is being offered at the Heritage Hong Kong Paper Money Auction for the first time.
A Malaya and British Borneo Board of Commissioners of Currency 10,000 Dollars ND (1953) Pick 7cts Color Trial Specimen PMG Choice About Unc 58 EPQ is a magnificent example with the desired EPQ status of the highest-denomination note featuring the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. This note generally was not a note that went into circulation; instead, it was used to settle large transactions within the banking industry, meaning that only Specimen and Color Trials, like the offered example, are known to exist.
A Hong Kong Government of Hong Kong 1 Dollar on 5 Yuan 1941 Pick 317 KNB6 PMG Gem Uncirculated 66 EPQ is the single-finest-graded Hong Kong $1 overprint from World War II in the PMG Population Report. Merging top quality and unquestioned rarity, this note was issued in World War II-era Hong Kong and somehow escaped circulation, allowing it to retain complete originality and pristine paper after more than six decades.
An India Government of India, Calcutta 2 Rupees, 8 Annas ND (1917) Pick 2 Jhunjhunwalla-Razack 3.3.1A-G PMG Choice Uncirculated 64 features an outstanding grade on a note with an uncommon denomination. The 2 Rupees 8 Annas is a seldom-seen middle denomination in the government’s series of notes; this type may have been issued to bridge the gap between small denominations, or to give the public a new note to use as silver was being hoarded during the first World War. The note was issued across major cities, which are identified by the prefix letter; this Calcutta issue is original and saved in Uncirculated, helping it become one of the most famous of all Indian paper notes.
Images and information about all lots in the Heritage Hong Kong World Paper Money Auction can be found at ha.com/4051.
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