SINGAPORE COIN FAIR 28TH TO 30TH MARCH 2014

I just got back from attending the Singapore coin fair and met up with the usual faces from Malaysia. For collectors who wants to fill up the "gap" that you have been hunting and searching be it coins or banknotes you could find it there. It was held in Marina Bay Sands Hotel and I was quite fascinated by the high grade of some very rare Straits Settlement, British Malaya, Malaysia coins and banknotes that were on sale at the fair that i would have never thought i could see and hold it physically. It gave you the wow factor once it was in your hand.

Generally speaking the prices for high grades are very expensive that went way above market price doubled and even tripled (depending on grades) the price stated in KN BOON catalogue and yet it was still snapped up by collectors. These collectors does not mind paying higher price for high grades banknotes/coins as they are so desperate for the items.

Through out the years till today, Malaysian dealers brought high quality numismatics products (coins and bank notes) to sell to the Singaporean dealers because they are willing to pay premium price compare with Malaysian buyers, so all the good and rare items ended up with Singaporean collectors and fell into dealers inventories. Then they send the good ones to PMG / NGC for grading and once achieved high grade do you think Malaysian collectors could afford buy them back from Singaporean dealers ? Your answer is as good as mine !

The prices are exorbitant and I could not buy anything at the fair, as a consolation therefore I only bought a book at the fair and it was the Frank Goon collection for SGD200.00 (2.605 exchange rate to MYR). Some stalls are selling for SGD350.00. The book show case his entire collection that worth more than USD20 million, his collection are more complete than Bank Negara museum (Sasana Kijang). It is a MUST have for every collectors.

1967 RM10 1ST SERIES ISMAIL ALI PMG 66 EPQ

I was quite disappointed that i did not achieved grade 67EPQ for this one. It is now extremely difficult to find one "perfect" ungraded note for this issue, most of them are foxed.

1976 RM10 & RM5 3RD SERIES ISMAIL ALI PMG 67 EPQ

Finally i managed to achieved my target of PMG 67 EPQ for these two pieces of banknotes of the 3rd series.

Happy Viewing.