2019-01-29 Tue

A book of specimen banknotes issued by Waterlow & Sons was auctioned in September 2018 surprisingly for a whopping $324,201, in a village near London. The book belonged to a late Waterlow & Sons employee and his widow had presented the rare item at the auction. Spink auctioned rare notes from the same album separately on 11th January. These notes have never been offered in the market before. Only some of the notes from the album were offered in New York this time, while the rest would also be up for sale in their upcoming auctions.

Specimen notes with the unique red coloured SPECIMEN WATERLOW & SONS LIMITED overprint, were offered for a price range of $1,000 to $2,500. A Hyderabad State trial green-coloured 10-rupee specimen note issued in Fasli Era 1333 or 1922, graded PCGS Currency Choice New 63, had an estimated value of $3,000 to $4,000, but was auctioned for $19,000. Usually, these notes are found in deep yellow colour.

A 10-rupee trial note issued by the Government of Mauritius in 1930, graded PCGS Currency Very Choice New 64, had an estimated value of $3,000 to $4,000 but was sold for $15,500. The note doesn’t feature dates nor does it depict serial numbers. It shows a portrait of King George V. The trial note was printed in pink and green instead of brown.

A uniface obverse and reverse 50-centavo trial note from Banco de Honduras issued on 27th May 1922, was offered at an estimated value of $800 to $1,200 but was auctioned for $3,500. The note does not show serial numbers and features better colours than the original issues. The obverse trial note is blue, pale pink, green and orange in colour. It depicts a church, a bull’s head and denomination. The reverse trial note is red coloured.

A 10-shilling trial note issued by Jamaica Government in 1918, graded PMG Gem Uncirculated 67 Exceptional Paper Quality was auctioned for $4,000. The note doesn’t feature any serial numbers. The obverse side is red and pale orange in colour instead of green and pink. It features a portrait of George V and the Roaring Rivers Falls in Saint Anne Parish. The red-coloured reverse side depicts the 18th century Flat Bridge over the Rio Cobre River, oranges and pineapple.

Image Courtesy: Spink Auctions